THE 

ROMANCE  OF  OLD 
PHILADELPHIA 

JOHN  T.  FARIS 


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THE  ROMANCE  OF 
OLD  PHILADELPHIA 


By  THEODORE  DE  BOOT 
and  JOHN  T.  PARIS 

THE  VIRGIN  ISLANDS 

OUR  NEW  POSSESSIONS  AND 

THE  BRITISH  ISLANDS 

97  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  FIVE  MAPS 

ESPECIALLY  PREPARED  FOR  THIS  WORK 

OCTAVO,  $3.00  NET 

Americans  wishing  to  know  what  we  possess  in  the 
Virgin  Islands— the  investor  and  financier  as  well 
as  the  general  reader — will  value  this  beautiful 
guide.  History — four  hundred  years  of  romance, 
from  the  landing  of  Columbus  to  their  purchase  in 
1917  from  Denmark;  scenery  and  climate — almost 
unrivalled  anywhere,  with  attractions  for  the  tour- 
ist, yachtsman,  hunter,  fisherman,  of  the  same  high 
merit;  commercial  possibilities — based  upon  splen- 
did agricultural  advantages,  fine  harbors  and  other 
natural  gifts;  these  are  among  the  high  points  of 
this  facinating  book.  A  colorful  volume,  finely 
illustrated.  "The  journey  we  share  is  delightful. ' 
— Boston  Transcript. 

By  JOHN  T.  PARIS 

OLD  ROADS 
OUT  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

117  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  A  MAP 
DECORATED  CLOTH,  OCTAVO,  $4.00  NET 

The  roads  out  of  Philadelphia  are  the  most  historic 
in  America.  Such  names  as  The  Battle  of  Brandy- 
wine,  Valley  Forge  and  Militia  Hill  suggest  the 
fascination  of  the  roads  leading  from  Philadelphia. 
The  author  presents  the  past  and  the  present  of 
ten  of  these  highways:  The  King's  Highway,  The 
Baltimore  Turnpike,  The  West  Chester  Road,  The 
Lancaster  Turnpike,  The  Gulph  Road,  The  Ridge 
Road,  The  Germantown  Turnpike,  The  Bethlehem 
Road,  The  Old  York  Road,  and  The  Bristol  Turn- 
pike. Profuse  illustrations  and  a  stimulating  text 
make  the  book  a  prize  for  the  walker,  the  auto- 
mobilist  and  the  local  historian. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF 
OLD  PHILADELPHIA 


BY 

JOHN  T.  FARIS 


AT7THOK  OP  "OLD  BOADS  OUT  OF  PHILADELPHIA,"  JOINT  ATTTHOR  OF 
'THE  VIRGIN  ISLANDS:  OUR  NEW  POSSESSIONS  AND  THE  BRITISH  ISLANDS' 


WITH  FRONTISPIECE  IN  COLOR  AND  100  IL- 
LUSTRATIONS FROM  ORIGINAL  SOURCES  AND 
FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  BY  PHILIP  B.  WALLACE 


PHILADELPHIA  AND  LONDON 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

1918 


•37 

F3 


COPYRIGHT,  1918,  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


PRINTED  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

AT  THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PRESS 

PHILADELPHIA,  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 

r  I  ^HERE  is  no  romance  like  that  of  the  lives  of 

those  who,  when  duty  calls,  dare  to  venture  in 

the  dark,  who  are  content  to  lay  the  foundations 

on  which  others  may  build,  who  are  brave  enough  to 

endure  present  privation  for  the  sake  of  future  good, 

especially  when  they  realize  that  the  good  they  hope 

for  may  not  be  seen,  except  in  fleeting  shadow,  by 

their  own  generation. 

The  emigrants  who  followed  the  explorers  from 
Europe  to  America,  who  struggled  with  pioneer  condi- 
tions in  the  midst  of  savages,  who,  though  they  knew 
from  experience  little  of  representative  government,  or 
of  freedom  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  own  conscience,  or  of  education  that  was  free 
to  all,  yet  made  their  brave  and  successful  effort  to 
build  up  government  and  church  and  schools,  would 
have  appreciated  words  written  centuries  later  by 
Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  "Life  is  a  thing  to  be  daringly 
used  and  cheerfully  hazarded." 

Those  words  tell  the  truth  concerning  the  life  of  the 
pioneer,  a  life  of  toil,  of  sacrifice,  of  heroic  endurance, 
but  to  them,  a  life  of  real  joy  and  to  those  who  look 
back  on  it  a  life  of  the  richest  romance. 

We  can  realize  more  of  the  truth  of  the  statement 
as  applied  to  the  brave  men  and  women  of  pioneer 
days  than  they  could  possibly  see  for  themselves. 
They  knew  that  they  were  making  a  venture  into  the 
unknown;  we  know  now  what  that  venture  cost  them. 

5 


M178516 


PREFACE 

They  understood  that  they  were  lining  up  with  the 
trail  blazers  of  history  who  have  paved  the  way  for  a 
better  civilization,  but  the  modern  world's  apprecia- 
tion of  this  fact  is  far  beyond  anything  that  they  could 
have.  There  were  probably  times  when  many  of  them 
thought  with  a  fine  glow  of  the  picturesqueness  and 
glamour  of  a  life  that  had  in  it  so  much  of  conflict  with 
hard  reality,  but  it  was  not  possible  for  them  to  measure 
truly  the  relieving  features  of  their  daily  struggles  and 
triumphs. 

It  is  given  to  us  who  can  have  the  perspective  sup- 
plied by  the  lapse  of  decades  and  centuries  to  see  the 
romance  in  the  determination  to  break  with  home  and 
associations  in  the  home  land,  to  face  the  stormy 
Atlantic,  to  carve  out  a  new  home  hi  a  country  which 
had  never  known  the  tread  of  civilized  man,  to  build 
up  a  civilization  that  would,  in  many  ways,  surpass 
any  that  other  countries  have  ever  had,  to  stand  for 
liberty  when  that  stand  would  certainly  involve  all  in 
fearful  hardship  and  would  just  as  certainly  lead  many 
to  death. 

The  study  of  the  romantic  element  in  such  pioneer 
struggles  has  an  appeal  that  is  universal;  it  is  of 
absorbing  interest  to  every  American  who  loves  his 
country,  whether  it  is  based  on  the  experience  of  those 
who  lived  in  New  England,  or  those  who  settled  in 
the  Southland,  or  those  who  made  their  homes  on 
the  shores  of  the  Delaware  or  the  Hudson. 
.  Because  of  the  unique  part  played  by  Philadelphia 
in  the  history  of  the  nation,  the  appeal  made  by  the 
records  of  those  who  lived  and  labored,  who  loved  and 
struggled  there,  has  even  more  of  general  interest  than 
6 


PREFACE 

a  similar  study  of  the  pioneers  of  many  other  portions 
of  the  country.  Not  only  was  Philadelphia  the  city  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  but  it  was  the  center 
for  a  long  period  of  activity  during  the  Revolution,  it 
was  the  city  of  the  Constitution,  it  was  the  capital  of 
the  country  during  ten  of  the  formative  years  of  the 
nation's  life,  it  was  the  home  of  Washington,  the  place 
where  he  liked  to  be  better  than  any  other  except  his 
own  beloved  Mount  Vernon. 

These  facts  have  been  constantly  in  the  mind  of 
the  author  in  planning  The  Romance  of  Old  Philadel- 
phia v  It  has  been  the  effort  to  picture  the  romance  of 
early  American  life. 

Much  of  the  material  for  the  volume  has  been  gath- 
pred  from  manuscripts  and  genealogical  records  in  the 
matchless  collection  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Penn- 
sylvania, from  the  files  of  the  Pennslyvania  Historical 
Magazine,  which  is  a  vast  treasure-house  of  curious 
and  interesting  facts  about  the  early  history  of  Philadel- 
phia and  Pennsylvania,  and  from  other  rare  books, 
all  found  in  the  library  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical 
Society  and  on  the  shelves  of  the  Library  Company  of 
Philadelphia, 

'  The  author  has  resisted  the  temptation  to  examine 
Watson's  Annals  of  Philadelphia,  though  realizing 
that  he  was  thus  depriving  himself  of  the  use  of  a  com- 
pilation that  has  been  for  many  years  a  source  of 
inspiration  and  a  mine  of  information  to  the  students 
of  Philadelphia  history. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  made  to  George  W. 
Jacobs  &  Co.,  Philadelphia,  publishers  of  "Historic 
Dress  in  America"  (copyright,  1903),  and  to  the  artist, 

7 


PREFACE 

) 

Miss  Sophie  B.  Steele,  for  permission  to  copy  the 
illustrations  of  Colonial  dress  reproduced  on  pages 
137,  157  and  212;  to  Messrs.  Ferris  &  Leach, 
Philadelphia,  publishers  of  "The  Quaker"  (copyright, 
1901),  for  the  use  of  the  illustrations  on  pages  181, 
202  and  213 ;  to  the  Macmillan  Company,  New  York, 
publishers  of  "Two  Centuries  of  Costume  in  America," 
copyright,  1903,  by  Alice  Morse  Earle,  for  permission 
to  use  the  illustrations  on  pages  128,  136  and  231;  to 
Miss  Clara  E.  Graff,  for  permission  to  use  the  photo- 
graphs from  "The  Claypoole  Family"  (copyright, 
1893),  which  are  reproduced  on  pages  27  and  36;  to 
Simon  Castner,  of  Philadelphia,  who,  from  his  priceless 
collection  of  prints  of  old  Philadelphia,  lent  the  beau- 
tiful print  from  which  the  Frontispiece  was  made;  to 
Ernest  Spofford,  Assistant  Librarian  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania,  and  George  Maurice  Abbot, 
Librarian  of  the  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia, 
and  the  courteous  members  of  his  staff;  to  Philip  B. 
Wallace,  photographer,  711  Walnut  Street,  Philadelphia, 
who  made  the  photographs  reproduced  in  the  volume; 
and  to  E.  S.  Holloway,  of  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company, 
whose  skill  and  patience  have  helped  to  give  form  to 
these  records  drawn  from  the  history  of  Old  Philadelphia. 

J.  T.  F. 

Philadelphia, 

August,  1918 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  FACING  THE  STORMY  ATLANTIC 19 

THE  SUBLIME  COURAGE  OF  THE  PIONEERS "NEITHER  HOUSE 

NOR  SHELTER" — A  "TUNN  OP  GOODS" — CAPTURED  BY  A 
PRIVATEER — A  MARRIAGEABLE  YOUNG  MAN — SELLING  THEIR 
TIME  TO  PAY  THEIR  PASSAGE — SQUALLS  AND  PRIVATEERS 
AND  AN  UNEXPECTED  DELIVERANCE — THE  RAT  AND  THE 
WATERSPOUT — FAMINE  ON  SHIPBOARD — "THOSE  WERE  GREAT 

DAYS." 

II.  HOUSE  BUILDING  AND  HOME  MAKING 42 

THE  HOUSE  JAMES  CLAYPOOLE  WANTED — DEALING  WITH  CAVE 
HOUSES  THAT  BECAME  PUBLIC  NUISANCES — THE  GOODS 

PAID  FOR  THREE  HUNDRED  SQUARE  MILES  OF  LAND PIONEER 

HARDSHIPS — A  THIEF  AND  A  CROWDED  HOUSE THE  LUXURY 

OF  WINDOW  PANES — WHAT  WAS  BOUGHT  AT  THE  VENDUE 

DINNER-GIVING  AND  DINNER  MANNERS — THE  WOES  OF 
HOUSECLEANING. 

III.  THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  CITY  GOVERNMENT 66 

WILLIAM  PENN  FAR  IN  ADVANCE  OF  HIS  AGE — WHY  THE 
TREES  OFFENDED A  BRUTAL  SHIP  CAPTAIN PENNSYL- 
VANIA'S ONLY  WITCHCRAFT  PROSECUTION — HUMPHREY  MOR- 
REY,  FIRST  MAYOR,  AND  THE  BLUE  ANCHOR  WHARF — "TO 

(PRISON   HE  MUST   GO" SHEEP  RAISING  IN   THE   PUBLIC 

SQUARE — STUFFING  THE  BALLOT  BOX  IN  1705 "BLACK- 

BEARD'S"  CHARMED  LIFE — FORBIDDEN  AMUSEMENTS — THE 
ELECTION  RIOT  OF  1742 — AN  UNWILLING  MAYOR-ELECT. 

IV.  GLIMPSES  OF  BUSINESS  LIFE 94 

WHALING  AND  WHALEMEN — HE  WANTED  HIS  SHIP  INSURED 

STEPHEN   GIRARD'S   RISE   TO   POWER — A   PHYSICIAN   WHO 

CURED  ALL  HIS  PATIENTS THE  GOLDSMITH'S  ACCOUNT 

WHY  BRYAN  OHARA  INCREASED  HIS  CHARGES — DIFFICULTIES 
OF  TRADE  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION — ROBERT  MORRIS  IN 
FINANCIAL  DIFFICULTIES — HUMOR  IN  THE  PRISON. 

V.  SOCIAL  LIFE  AND  RECREATIONS 110 

THE  CHARMING  WOMEN  OF  OLD  PHILADELPHIA — JOSEPH 
SHIPPEN'S  TRIBUTE  TO  SOCIAL  LEADERS — WHAT  A  YOUNG 

MAN  REQUIRED  OF  HIS  SISTER — A  MOUSE  IN  HER  NIGHT  CAP 

WHY  THE  KISS  WAS  DISAGREEABLE — RULES  OF  THE  DANCE 

THE  GOVERNOR'S  PREDICAMENT — THE  CEREMONY  OF  THE 
SPOON — THE  JOYS  OF  SLEIGH-RIDING  AND  SERENADING — A 
DINNER  AT  PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON'S  MANSION. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

VI.  MORE  WAYS  OF  COLONIAL  DAYS ISO 

THE  LIBERALITY  OF  THE  POOR — "SOMETHING  PRETTY" 
WANTED  BY  AN  ALMSHOUSE  INMATE — -NO  HAYSTACKS  ALLOWED 

IN   MULBERRY    STREET CUT    SILVER   AND    GOOD-NATURED 

*' PRETTY  CREATURES"  IN  THE  MARKETS — AN  ENTHUSIAST 

IN  DYES THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  STREET  PAVING STEPHEN 

GIRARD  TO  THE  RESCUE — SLAVERY  AND  SLAVERS. 

VII.  EARLY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS 150 

THE    FIRST    SCHOOLMASTER — WHY    ISRAEL    PEMBERTON    WAS 

SORE THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

"NOT  A  DOVE,  BUT  A  HAWK  OR  A  FALCON" — LANTERN  AND 
BELL,  THE  PENALTY  FOR  TARDINESS — HAZING  THE  MASTER — 
SCHOOL  ORDINARY — DEAD  ON  HIS  KNEES — HE  TAUGHT 
SCHOOL  IN  GAOL — POOR  TEN- YEAR-OLD  GEORGE! — THE  DAWN- 
ING OF  A  BETTER  DAY. 

VIII.  WISE  AND  OTHERWISE 171 

SUPERSTITION  IN   1716 — THE  LIFE  OF  A  WOMAN  WHO  MINDS 

HER  OWN  BUSINESS — BETWEEN  NOSE  AND  CHIN "  NOT  JOHN, 

BUT  THE  DEMIJOHN TIME  TO   BURY   WEST   PHILADELPHIA 

''MISS  KITTY  CUT-A-DASH" — ODE  TO  A  MARKET  STREET  GUTTER. 
IX.  THE  QUAINT  CHURCH  CUSTOMS  OF  LONG  AGO 183 

WHEN  STEEPLES  WERE  SCARCE TROUBLESOME  CHAINS  AND 

CANDLE  LIGHT A  PEW  FOR  PRESIDENT  ADAMS — THE  COMING 

OF  GEORGE  WHITEFIELD THEY  WANTED  HIM  TO  "dNDLE  A 

DEAD  COAL" ALL  THIS  FOR  $300  PER  YEAR! — A  BUSY  SEXTON 

— AN  INVITATION  TO  A  FUNERAL — "  PRANCING  IT  THROUGH 
THE  STREETS." 

X.  COURTSHIP  AND  MARRIAGE 201 

GIVING  NOTICE  IN  A  "  PUB  LICK  PLACE" — WHY  SALLY  WAS 

SAD SHE  DID  NOT  KEEP  HER  PROMISE — A  BABY  "OF  THE 

WORST  SEX" — AN  ELOPEMENT  AND  ITS  PAINFUL  SEQUEL — 
A  PEEP  AT  A  BRIDE'S  TROUSSEAU — SHE  MARRIED  A  WIDOWER 

SOME   HUMORS   OF   COLONIAL   COURTSHIP — THE   AWFUL 

PENALTY  OF  ATTRACTING  MEN. 

XI.  PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 227 

TWO  POUNDS  FOR  CARRYING  ONE  LETTER — WHY  PEGGY 
SHIPPEN  SIGHED — HOW  PETER  MUHLENBERG  PLAYED  PRODI- 
GAL— THE  CLEVER  LADIES  OF  PHILADELPHIA — A  DUN  FOR  A 
DEER — PROVING  A  FISH  STORY — CONGRESS  A  "MOST  RESPECT- 
ABLE BODY" — WHY  FRANKLIN  WAS  SARCASTIC. 

XII.  WHEN  TRAVEL  WAS  DIFFICULT 246 

PROUD  OF  THIRTY  CARTS — WHY  THE  CHAIR  WAS  DELAYED — 
A  MAKESHIFT  FOR  SHEETS — THE  LANDLADY  WHOSE  EYES 
WERE  "NONE  OF  THE  PRETTIEST" — A  VAIN  FLIGHT  FOB 
SAFETY — TO  LONG  BRANCH  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES — SHE 
"ONLY  OVERSET  TWISTE" — THE  STEAMBOAT  A  PHILADELPHIA 
INVENTION — WHY  THE  EAGLE  DID  NOT  BEAT  THE  PHCENIX. 
10 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIII.  THE  CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 270 

THE  DEATH  OF  TEA — HOMEMADE  MUSKETS — "PROCLAIM 
LIBERTY" — WHAT  IT  MEANT  TO  HAVE  AN  INVADER  IN  THE 
CITY — HE  WOULD  NOT  HAVE  PENN*S  COLONY  AS  A  FREE 

GIFT — INFLATED  CURRENCY  AND  HIGH  PRICES TO  MAKE 

LACE  OUT  OF  CAMBRIC THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  DAYBREAK 

— WHY  FRANKLIN  WAS  NEEDED  TO  "HOOP  THE  BARREL." 

XIV.  UNTIL  THE  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 299 

A  TREMENDOUS  SOCIAL  STRAIN — A  SPECTACULAR  FOURTH  OF 
JULY — WOES  AT  BUSH  HILL — MARTHA  WASHINGTON'S 
"CHICKEN  FRYKECY" — PUMPS  AND  OPEN  HYDRANTS — THE 
FIRST  BALLOON  ASCENSION — WASHINGTON  OUT  AND  ADAMS 

IN — WASHINGTON  AT  LAST  FINDS  REST A  NEW  CENTURY,  A 

NEW  CAPITAL,  AND  RENEWED  YOUTH  FOR  PHILADELPHIA. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

OLD  PHILADELPHIA  REACHING  OUT  TO  THE  COUNTRY.  .  .Frontispiece. 

SPANISH  GALLEONS 26 

TYPE  OF  WILLIAM  PENN'S  SHIP  WELCOME 26 

JAMES  CLATPOOLE 27 

MART  CHAMBERS  CLAYPOOLE 27 

THE  DUEL  BETWEEN  BLACKBEARD  AND  MAYNARD 36 

THE  HOME  IN  ENGLAND  FROM  WHICH  JAMES  CLAYPOOLE  CAME 36 

PENN'S  TREATY  WITH  THE  INDIANS 37 

RECEIPT  FOR  PAYMENT  FOR  LAND,  GIVEN  BY  THE  INDIANS  TO  THOMAS 

AND  RICHARD  PENN 50 

WILLIAM  HUDSON'S  CLOCK 51 

WILLIAM  PENN'S  DESK  AND  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN'S  CLOCK 51 

AN  ATTRACTIVE  VIEW  OF  WHITBY  HALL 58 

WILLIAM  PENN'S  SILVER  TEA  SERVICE 59 

THE  OLD  SIDEBOARD 64 

A  CORNER  OF  AN  OLD  DINING  ROOM 65 

DRAFT  OF  UPPER  FERRY,  SCHUYLKILL  RIVER 65 

PLAN  OF  THE  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 70 

THE  SOUTHEAST  PROSPECT  OF  THE  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 71 

SIR  WILLIAM  KEITH 84 

HANNAH  CALLOWHILL  PENN 84 

STAIRWAY  AT  247  SOUTH  SIXTH  STREET 85 

A  BIT  OF  THE  OLD  LANTERN,  CAMAC  HOUSE,  320  SOUTH  THIRD  STREET    85 

KRIDER'S  GUN  STORE 96 

239  PINE  STREET 96 

CURRENCY  OF  THE  PROVINCE  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  1759 97 

STEPHEN  GIRARD  AT  His  DESK 97 

ROBERTS'S  MILL 102 

HIGH  STREET  MARKET 102 

13 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

A  BIT  OF  OLD  PHILADELPHIA  (CAMAC  STREET,  "THE  LITTLE  STREET 

or  CLUBS") 103 

THE  QUAKER  MEETING 118 

ROBERT  MORRIS 119 

MRS.  ROBERT  MORRIS 119 

SOFT  BROCADE  GOWN,  1685 128 

MARTHA  WASHINGTON,  WEARING  THE  CAP  CALLED  "THE  QUEEN'S 

NIGHT  CAP" 128 

BISHOP  WILLIAM  WHITE ' 129 

PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON'S  COACH 129 

DOCTOR  BENJAMIN  RUSH 136 

ESTHER  DUCHE 136 

A  WEDDING  GOWN,  A  GOWN  OF  1760,  A  SUIT  OF  VELVET,  A  WATTEAU 

GOWN ". 137 

EMPIRE  GOWN 137 

IN  AN  OLD  KITCHEN 140 

STATE  HOUSE,  WITH  A  VIEW  OF  CHESTNUT  STREET 141 

DILIGENT  FIRE  ENGINE 141 

DAVID  JAMES  DOVE,  SCHOOLMASTER 156 

ROBERT  PROUD,  SCHOOLMASTER 156 

GIRL'S  RED  STUFF  GOWN,  1730;  PRINT  GOWN  OF  1710;  WHITE  DAMASK 
LINEN  GOWN  OF  1720;  SUIT  OF  BLUE  SILK,  1740;  BROWN  VELVET 

SUIT,  1760 157 

BROWN  VELVET  SUIT  OF  1760;  BUFF  PRINTED  CAMBRIC  DRESS,  ABOUT 
1760;  SHEER  MUSLIN  GOWN,  ABOUT  1790;  CLOAK,  MUFF  AND  HAT 

AFTER  SIR  JOSHUA  REYNOLDS,  1780;  MUSLIN  GOWN  OF  1790 157 

TIMOTHY  MATLACK,  SCHOOLMASTER 166 

BENCH  AND  TABLE  USED  BY  CHRISTOPHER  DOCK,  IN  His  SCHOOL  IN 

GERMANTOWN 166 

ALEXANDER  WILSON 167 

JAMES  WILSON,  TEACHER  OF  LATIN  AND  SIGNER  OF  THE  DECLARATION.  167 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  THOMAS  AND  JULIANA  PENN 174 

SWEETBRIER,  THE  HOME  OF  SAMUEL  BRECK 175 

PROFILES  CUT  BY  MAJOR  ANDREI 180 

THE  CALASH 181 

14 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

WEATHER  VANE  AND  SCARECROW  AT  CHAMPLOST 181 

REV.  GEORGE  DUFFIELD,  D.D 184 

CHAIN  USED  DURING  SERVICE  TO  PROTECT  OLD  PINE  STREET  CHURCH 

FROM  STREET  TRAFFIC 184 

THE  COMMUNION  SERVICE  WHICH  QUEEN  ANNE  PRESENTED  TO  CHRIST 

CHURCH,  1708 185 

ARCH  STREET,  WITH  THE  SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 185 

GLORIA  DEI  CHURCH 192 

INTERIOR  OF  OLD  ST.  DAVID'S  CHURCH 192 

ORIGINAL  GABLE  WINDOW  m  OLD  PINE  STREET  CHURCH 193 

INTERIOR  OF  ST.  PETER'S  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 193 

THE  QUAKER  WEDDING 202 

JULIANA  PENN 203 

MARGARET  (PEGGY)  SHIPPEN 212 

COLONIAL  WEDDING  GOWN;  CRIMSON  BROCADE  OF  1752;  GREEN  GOWN 

OVER  SATIN  HOOPED  PETTICOAT;  BACK  VIEW  OF  SAME 212 

FOUR    OLD -TIME    PENNSYLVANIA    WORTHIES:      JOHN    PEMBERTON, 

JAMES  PEMBERTON,  HENRY  DRINKER,  JOHN  PARRISH 213 

WILLIAM  HAMILTON  OF  "THE  WOODLANDS"  AND  His  NIECE 230 

MRS.  BENEDICT  ARNOLD  AND  HER  DAUGHTER 231 

GENERAL  CADWALADER,  WIFE  AND  CHILD 231 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 244 

MRS.  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 244 

IN  OLD  CLINTON  STREET,   BETWEEN  NINTH  AND  TENTH,  LOOKING 

EAST 245 

STAGE  COACH  ADVERTISEMENTS 252 

BRIDGE  OVER  THE  PENNYPACK 253 

MODEL  OF  JOHN  FITCH'S  STEAM  ENGINE 260 

PLAN  OF  JOHN  FITCH'S  STEAMBOAT 260 

JOHN  FITCH'S  STEAMBOAT,  1786 261 

ROBERT  FULTON'S  DOUBLE  INCLINED  PLANE  FOR  CANALS 264 

To  THE  DELAWARE  PILOTS 265 

IN  MOURNING  BECAUSE  OF  THE  STAMP  ACT 272 

SARAH  FRANKLIN  BACHE 272 

THE  LIBERTY  BELL 273 

THE  DESK  OF  THE  DECLARATION 278 

15 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  CONGRESS  VOTING  INDEPENDENCE 279 

IN  INDEPENDENCE  HALL 282 

LOOKING  TOWARD  THE  LIBERTY  BELL,  INDEPENDENCE  HALL 283 

THE  PLANTATION,  PEMBERTON'S 288 

TICKET  FOR  THE  MESCHIANZA 288 

MT.  PLEASANT,  EAST  FRONT,  THE  HOME  OF  BENEDICT  ARNOLD 289 

AMERICAN  UNIFORMS  IN  THE  REVOLUTIONARY  WAR 294 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  AT  VALLEY  FORGE 295 

THE  DECLARATION  INKSTAND 295 

SIGNING  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 300 

CONGRESS  HALL  AND  THE  NEW  THEATRE 310 

THE  HOUSE  INTENDED  FOR  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.  .  310 

DOORWAY  OF  244  SOUTH  EIGHTH  STREET 311 

THE  OLD  PUMP  AT  THE  CHEW  HOUSE,  GERMANTOWN 311 

WILLIAM  COBBETT,  THE  EDITOR  OF  "PETER  PORCUPINE" 318 

ROBERT  MORRIS'S  UNFINISHED  HOUSE.  .  .  319 


The  clock  shown  in  cover  design  was  owned 

by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  is  now  in  the 

Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Adams,  J.,  Letters  to Boston,  1841. 

Adams,  John,  Letters  of,  addressed  to 

his  Wife Edited  by  C.  F.  Adams,  Boston,  1841. 

Adams,  Mrs.  (Abigail  A.),  Letters  of.  .Boston,  1840. 

Assemblies,  The  Philadelphia Thomas  Willing  Balch,  Philadelphia, 

1916. 

Breck,  Samuel,  Recollections  of Edited  by  Horace  E.  Scudder,  Phila- 
delphia, 1877. 
Canal    Navigation,    Treatise    on    the 

Improvement  of By  Robert  Fulton,  London,  1796. 

(Copy  presented  to  George  Washington,  with  autograph  and  supplementary 
chapter  by  the  author.) 

Chalkley,  Thomas,  Journal  of Philadelphia,  1749. 

Chronicles  of  Pennsylvania,  1688-1748  Charles  P.  Keith,  Philadelphia,  1917. 
Chastellux,    Marquis   de,   Travels   in 

North  America New  York,  1827. 

Claypoole  Family,  Genealogy  of By  Rebecca  Irwin  Graff,   Philadel- 
phia, 1893. 
Collections  of  the  Historical  Society  of 

Pennsylvania Philadelphia,  1853. 

Dock,  Christopher,  Life  and  Work  of.  .By   Martin   G.   Brumbaugh,    Phila- 
delphia, 1908. 
Drinker,  Elizabeth,  Extracts  from  the 

Journal  of,  from  1759  to  1807 Edited  by  Henry  D.  Biddle,  Phila- 
delphia, 1887. 

Education  in  Pennsylvania,  History  of.  By  James  Page  Wickersham,  Lan- 
caster, 1886. 
Eve,  Sarah,  Extracts  from  the  Journal 

of,  1772-1773 Philadelphia,  1881. 

Excursion   to   the   United   States   of 
North  America  in  the  Summer  of 

1794 By  Henry  Wansey,  Salisbury,  1798. 

First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia, 

History  of  the By  William  Keen,  Philadelphia,  1899. 

Fitch,  John,  Life  of By  Charles  Whittlesey,  in  Sparks 

Library   of   American   Biography, 
Boston,  1845. 
Fitch,  John,  Map  of  the  North  West 

Parts  of  the  United  States Philadelphia,  1786  (?). 

17 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  Letters  to,  from 

his  Family  and  Friends New  York,  1859. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  Works  of Edited    by    Jared    Sparks,    Boston, 

1836-1844. 

Fulton,  Robert,  Life  of By   J.    Franklin   Reigart,    Philadel- 
phia, 1856. 

Girard,  Stephen,  Life  and  Times  of .  .By  John  Bach  McMaster,  Philadel- 
phia, 1918. 
Graydon,  Alexander,  Memoirs  of  His 

Own  Times Harrisburg,  1811. 

Hiltzheimer,  Jacob,  Extracts  from  the 

Diary  of Edited  by  Jacob  Cox  Parsons,  Phila- 
delphia, 1893. 

Justice  to  the  Memory  of  John  Fitch. .  By  Charles  Whittlesey,   Cincinnati, 

1845. 

Latrobe,  (B.  H.),  Journal  of By  Benjamin  Henry  Latrobe,  New 

York,  1905. 

Latrobe,  John  H.  B By  John  F.  Semmes,  Baltimore,  1917. 

Memoirs   of   an   Unfortunate   Young 

Nobleman By  James  Annesley,  London,  1743. 

Museum,  The  American,  Volumes  from 

1795  to  1798 Philadelphia. 

News  of  a  Trumpet  Sounding  in  the 

Wilderness By  William  Bradford,  New  York,  1976. 

Old  Pine  Street,  History  of By  H.  O.  Gibbons,  Philadelphia,  1905. 

Origin  of  Steamboats,  Short  Account 

of  the By  W.  Thornton,  Albany,  1818 

Original  Steamboat  Supported,  The.  .Philadelphia,  1788. 
Pennsylvania  Colonial  Cases,  Prior  to 

1700 By  Samuel  W.  Pennypacker,  Phila- 
delphia, 1892. 
Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and 

Biography,  Volumes  1-41 Philadelphia. 

Philadelphia  Magazines  and  their  Con- 
tributors   By  A.  H.  Smythe,  Philadelphia,  1892. 

Philadelphia,  1681-1887 By  Edward  P.  Allinson  and  Boies  P. 

Penrose,  Philadelphia,  1887. 
Philadelphia,  The,  or  New  Pictures  of 

the  City Philadelphia,  1784. 

Warder,  Ann,  Extracts  from  the  Diary 

of,  1786-1788 Edited  by  Sarah  Cadbuiy,  Philadel- 
phia, 1894. 

Voyages  and  Adventures By  Capt.  Robert  Boyle,  Wigan,  1786. 

18 


THE  ROMANCE  OF 

OLD  PHILADELPHIA 

i 

FACING  THE  STORMY  ATLANTIC 

THE  SUBLIME  COURAGE  OF  THE  PIONEERS — "NEITHER  HOUSE  NOR  SHEL- 
TER"— A  "TUNN  OF  GOODS" — CAPTURED  BY  A  PRIVATEER — A  MAR- 
RIAGEABLE YOUNG  MAN — SELLING  THEIR  TIME  TO  PAY  THEIR  PASSAGE 
— SQUALLS  AND  PRIVATEERS  AND  AN  UNEXPECTED  DELIVERANCE — 
THE  RAT  AND  THE  WATERSPOUT — FAMINE  ON  SHIPBOARD — "THOSE 
WERE  GREAT  DAYS" 

THEY  were  sturdy  heroes,  those  men  and  women 
who  left  home  and  friends  in"Merrie  England" 
to  seek  they  knew  not  what  in  the  distant  lands 
which  had  been  placed  under  William  Penn's  control. 
Possibly  some  of  them  were  visionaries  who  did  not 
count  the  cost,  but  most  of  them  were  people  of  prac- 
tical common  sense  who  realized  what  the  breaking  of 
home  ties  meant.  Though  they  did  not  know  exactly 
what  was  before  them,  they  did  know  that  they  could 
not  expect  to  see  again  their  friends  and  loved  ones 
in  the  home  land;  they  had  heard  enough  of  the  terrors 
of  a  long  ocean  voyage  to  understand  that  there  were 
before  them  weeks,  perhaps  months,  of  tossing  in  what 
seems  to  us  a  mere  toy  of  a  boat;  they  knew  that  there 
were  some  who  had  set  out  on  the  long  voyage  who 
had  never  reached  their  destination;  they  knew  that 
in  the  land  they  sought  there  were  savages  who  had 
slain  hundreds  of  emigrants  from  England;  they  under- 

19 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

stood  well  that  when  they  reached  the  distant  shores 
they  would  have  to  live  for  perhaps  a  year  or  two  in  a 
makeshift  hut  with  only  the  barest  necessities. 

But  they  did  not  hesitate,  for  theirs  was  the  high 
courage  that  was  willing  to  face  the  unknown  for  the 
sake  of  what  the  future  might  bring  to  them  and  to 
their  children,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  part  they  might 
have  in  carving  out  a  new  state  that  would  make  life 
brighter  for  those  who  were  to  come  after  them. 

Theirs  was  the  courage  of  the  pioneer  who  has  been 
characterized  by  sturdy  faith  from  the  days  of  Abraham, 
who  "went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went,"  to  the 
days  of  Christopher  Columbus  and  Hendrick  Hudson 
and  John  Winthrop  and  William  Penn — the  faith  that 
enabled  them  not  only  to  brave  the  Atlantic,  but  also 
to  keep  sweet  while  they  faced  the  dark  forests,  swam 
swollen  rivers  or  trudged  over  leagues  of  uncharted 
country  where  Indians  might  be  lurking  at  every  step. 

Their  courage  was  not  less  because  they  could  know 
little  of  these  things,  and  therefore  went  blindly  ahead. 
There  was  something  sublime  in  their  readiness  to 
drive  into  the  unknown,  and  to  go  not  as  those  who 
were  under  compulsion  to  do  something  they  did  not 
wish  to  do,  but  willingly,  eagerly,  devotedly. 

It  was  in  this  spirit  that  Thomas  Sion  Evan,  an 
emigrant  of  1682,  came  to  Pennsylvania.  On  a  day 
in  July,  1681,  he  was  attending  St.  Peter's  Fair  at 
Bala,  Wales.  He  had  left  his  comfortable  farm  home 
with  no  thought  but  of  mingling  at  the  fair  with  ac- 
quaintances and  friends,  as  he  had  done  many  times 
before,  and  of  returning  home  in  the  evening  prepared 
to  take  up  once  more  his  accustomed  duties. 
20 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

But  one  of  those  to  whom  he  talked  that  day  had 
something  to  tell  him  that  was  to  change  the  course 
of  his  whole  life.  This  friend  talked  of  a  far-away 
land  which  he  called  Pennsylvania — a  fair  land,  well 
watered,  well  wooded,  where  flowers  bloomed  freely 
and  abundant  crops  were  to  be  had  for  little  labor. 
He  was  assured  that  there  was  room  in  that  land  for 
anyone  who  would  cross  the  Atlantic. 

These  things  took  hold  of  Evan's  imagination.  He 
thought  how  fine  it  would  be  to  trade  his  Welsh  home 
for  the  splendors  of  the  wooded  lands  by  the  Delaware. 
Evidently  he  was  a  bold  spirit,  for  his  mind  was  soon 
made  up :  he  would  go  himself  to  that  far-away  country 
and  see  for  himself  if  the  things  of  which  he  had  been 
told  were  so. 

With  a  promptness  more  characteristic  of  the 
twentieth  century  than  the  seventeenth  century  he  put 
aside  all  the  discouraging  arguments  of  friends  and 
relatives,  and  within  three  weeks  he  was  on  his  way  to 
London  where  he  planned  to  take  passage  for  America. 
But  in  the  city  by  the  Thames  his  impatient  spirit 
was  checked.  Though  he  searched  the  waterfront,  he 
could  find  no  vessel  bound  for  Pennsylvania.  For 
weeks  he  waited,  filling  up  the  time  as  best  he  could 
by  making  inquiries  concerning  the  land  of  his 
dreams.  He  was  compelled  to  be  satisfied  with  very 
meagre  information,  since  William  Penn  had  not  then 
arranged  for  the  publicity  material  that  later  led 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  others  to  follow  in  Evan's 
footsteps. 

At  length,  after  three  months'  delay,  the  eager 
Welshman  was  able  to  stow  his  possessions  and  himself 

21 


THE    ROMANCE?   OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

in  a  small  ship  whose  captain  assured  him  that  the 
voyage  would  not  be  too  great  an  adventure. 

But  the  emigrant  soon  learned  the  uncertainties  of 
ocean  travel.  After  a  stormy  passage  he  was  in  sight 
of  the  Delaware  when  adverse  winds  and  boisterous 
waves  drove  them  out  to  sea.  The  sails  were  torn  and 
the  rudder-  Was  injured.  Reluctantly  the  captain 
turned  his  back  on  the  promised  land  and  made  his 
way  to  Barbadoes.  There  three  weeks  were  spent  in 
refitting  the  ship. 

The  second  attempt  was  successful;  the  Delaware 
was  entered  on  April  16,  1682.  The  voyage  of  thirty 
weeks  had  given  Evan  ample  time  to  learn  to  speak 
and  read  English  tolerably  well. 

Eagerly  the  passengers  looked  for  a  town  on  the 
banks  of  the  Delaware,  but  when  they  reached  the 
site  of  the  present  city  of  Philadelphia  they  found 
"neither  house  nor  shelter,"  nothing  but  the  wild 
woods.  Nor  was  there  anyone  to  welcome  them.  "A 
poor  lookout  this,  for  persons  who  had  been  so  long 
at  sea,  many  of  whom  had  spent  their  little  all,"  Evan's 
son  John  wrote  to  a  friend  in  1708. 

But  the  Welsh  settler  had  neither  time  nor  inclina- 
tion to  repine.  In  the  spirit  of  the  true  pioneer  he 
left  the  ship  which  had  been  his  home  for  so  long  and 
began  to  carve  out  the  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Dela- 
ware of  which  he  had  been  dreaming  since  the  day  at 
the  Bala  fair,  more  than  nine  months  before.  And 
soon  he  was  able  to  write  to  his  stay-at-home  neighbors 
an  account  of  his  experiences  that  must  have  helped 
some  of  them  to  follow  in  his  steps. 

By  this  time,  however,  Penn  had  prepared  a  pam- 

22 


FACING    THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

phlet  of  "Information  and  Direction  to  Such  Persons 
as  are  Inclined  to  America."  This  was  written  in  a 
convincing,  personal  manner.  It  began: 

"Say  I  have  100£  sterl.  If  I  am  but  six  in  Family, 
I  will  pay  my  Passage  with  the  advance  upon  my 
Money,  and  find  my  hundred  pounds  good  in  the  Coun- 
try at  last.  Upon  Goods,  well  bought  and  sorted,  there 
is  more  profit:  but  some  Money  is  very  requisite  for 
Trade  sake." 

An  estimate  was  made  of  the  expense  of  transporting 
an  ordinary  family.  For  the  husband,  his  wife  and 
two  men  servants,  twenty  pounds  would  be  required. 
A  ten-year-old  child  would  pay  half  as  much  as  an 
adult.  Each  passenger  would  be  entitled  to  a  chest, 
but  a  "Tunn  of  Goods"  additional  would  be  required, 
and  for  these  the  freight  charge  would  be  two  pounds. 
The  ship's  doctor  would  cost  2  shillings  6  pence  per 
person.  Four  gallons  of  brandy  and  'twenty-four 
pounds  of  sugar  would  be  needed  for  the  voyage,  and 
these  supplies  would  cost  one  pound.  The  next  im- 
portant item  5n  the  equipment  was  put  down  thus: 
"For  Cloaths  for  my  Servants,  each  6  Shirts,  2 
Waist-coats,  a  Summer  and  a  Winter  Shute,  one 
Hat,  2  pair  of  Shoes,  Stokins  and  Drawyers,  twelve 
pounds." 

In  arranging  for  supplies  to  be  included  in  the 
"Tunn  of  Goods,"  advice  was  given  not  to  forget 
Building  Material,  Householdstuff,  Husbandry,  Fowl- 
ing and  Fishing,  English  Woollen,  and  German  Linnen, 
Broad-Clothes  Kereseys,  Searges,  Norwich-Stuffs,  Duf- 
fels, Cottons,  White  and  Blew  Ozenburgs,  Shoes,  and 
Stockins,  Buttons,  Silk,  Thread,  Iron  ware,  especially 

23 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Axes,  Indian  Hows,  Saws,  Drawing  Knives,  Nailes, 
Powder  and  Lead. 

In  a  later  document  the  Proprietor  argued  the 
advantages  of  sailing  so  as  to  reach  Pennsylvania  in 
the  spring  or  the  fall,  "for  the  Summer  may  be  of  the 
hottest,  for  fresh  Commers,  and  in  the  Winter  the 
wind  that  prevails,  is  the  North  West,  and  that  blows 
off  the  Coast,  so  that  sometimes  it  is  difficult  to  enter 
the  Capes." 

The  length  of  the  passage  was  put  down  as  between 
six  and  nine  weeks,  though  the  honest  statement  was 
made  that  "the  passage  is  not  to  be  set  by  any  man; 
for  ships  will  be  quicker  and  slower,  some  have  been 
four  moneths,  and  some  but  one,  and  as  often."  During 
one  year  twenty-four  ships  made  the  voyage,  and  only 
three  of  these  required  more  than  nine  weeks  for  the 
trip,  while  one  or  two  consumed  less  than  six  weeks. 

Passengers  were  urged  to  spend  as  much  time  as 
possible  on  deck,  "for  the  Air  helps  against  the  offensive 
smells  of  a  Crowd,  and  a  close  place."  Advice  was 
given  to  carry  store  of  Rue  and  Wormwood  and  some 
Rosemary.  Vinegar  and  Pitch  were  to  be  used  as 
disinfectants. 

The  modern  promoter  could  learn  from  the  closing 
word  of  advice  to  the  emigrants  to  "be  moderate  in 
Expectation,"  to  "count  on  Labour  before  a  Crop,  and 
Cost  before  Gain,"  that  thus  they  might  be  ready  to 
"endure  difficulties,  if  they  come,  and  bear  the  Success 
as  well  as  find  the  Comfort,  that  usually  follows  such 
considerate  undertakings." 

Possibly  some  were  deterred  from  making  the  ven- 
ture by  the  appeal  to  be  neither  "Hasty"  nor  "Pre- 
24 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

sumptuous."  "The  even  humble  Temper  will  best 
endure  the  Change  either  way,"  was  the  assurance. 
"A  Wilderness  must  want  some  things  improv'd 
Countries  enjoy,  but  Time  and  Labour  will  reprize, 
where  Industry  sooner  makes  an  Inheritance.  And 
tho  we  have  not  the  Ornaments  of  Life,  we  want  not 
the  Conveniences;  and  if  their  Cost  were  put  in  Ballance 
with  their  Benefit,  the  World  would  be  greatly  debtor 
on  Account." 

Perhaps  some  of  this  information  was  available  for 
the  forty  friends  of  John  Ap  Thomas  who  planned  to 
go  with  him  to  Pennsylvania  in  1682.  But  Thomas' 
health  was  poor.  At  first  the  company  thought  of 
waiting  for  him  and  his  family,  but  he  urged  them  to 
go  without  him,  promising  to  follow  as  soon  as  possible. 
So  they  took  passage  in  August,  1682,  on  the  ship  Lyon, 
taking  with  them  some  of  Thomas'  household  goods. 
One  of  the  advance  company  was  Edd  Jones,  who 
wrote  to  the  sick  man  an  interesting  account  of  the 
voyage: 

"This  shall  lett  thee  know  that  we  have  been  abord 
eleaven  weeks  before  we  made  the  land  (it  was  not  for 
want  of  art  but  contrary  winds)  and  one  we  were  in 
coming  to  Upland,  ye  town  is  to  be  buylded  15  or  16 
miles  miles  up  ye  River.  And  in  all  this  time  we  wanted 
neither  meate,  drink  or  water  though  several  hogsheds 
of  water  run  out.  Our  ordinary  allowance  of  beere  was 
3  pints  a  day  for  each  whole  head  and  a  quart  of  water; 
3  biskedd  a  day  &  some  times  more.  We  laid  in  about 
half  hundred  of  biskedd,  one  barrell  of  beere,  one  hogs- 
hed  of  water — the  quantity  for  each  whole  head,  &  3 
barrels  of  beefe  for  the  whole  number — 40 — and  we  had 
one  to  come  ashoare.  A  great  many  could  eat  little  or 
no  beefe  though  it  was  good.  Butter  and  chesse  eats 

25 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

well  upon  ye  sea.  Ye  remainder  of  our  cheese  &  butter 
is  little  or  no  worster;  butter  &  cheese  is  at  6d  per  Ib. 
here  if  not  more.  We  have  oatmeal  to  spare,  but  it  is 
well,  yt  we  have  it,  for  here  is  little  or  no  corn  till  they 
begin  to  sow  their  corn." 

Of  the  forty  who  set  out  on  the  voyage  one  only,  a 
child,  died.  This  fact  led  Jones  to  add: 

"Let  no  friends  tell  that  they  are  either  too  old  or 
too  young,  for  the  Lord  is  sufficient  to  preserve  both 
to  the  uttermost.  Here  is  an  old  man  about  80  years 
of  age;  he  is  rather  better  yn  when  he  sett  out,  likewise 
here  are  young  babes  doing  very  well  considering  sea 
diet." 

John  Ap  Thomas  did  not  live  to  reach  Pennsylvania. 
But  his  family  made  their  mark  in  the  new  land.  An 
interesting  record  has  been  left  by  his  son,  Thomas 
Ap  John  (the  father's  name  reversed,  or  Thomas  Jones, 
as  he  wrote  it  in  America)  in  the  shape  of  a  letter  which 
he  wrote  in  1709  to  his  cousin  in  Wales.  In  this  he 
told  of  difficulties  worse  than  storms  which,  were  ex- 
perienced by  Owen  Roberts  and  his  company,  friends 
of  his,  on  the  way  to  America. 

"They  were  taken  [by  the  French]  .  .  .  within  a 
few  days'  sail  (less  than  a  week)  good  wind,  of  the 
Capes  or  mouth  of  the  Delaware,  being  all  alive  and 
pretty  well  and  hearty,  and  were  carried  by  them,  some 
to  Martinico,  and  the  rest  to  Guardalupa,  islands 
belonging  to  the  French.  And  so  from  thence  to  Mpn- 
sterat  and  Antigo,  islands  belonging  to  the  English, 
and  so  from  thence  here,  where  they  arrived  at  Phila- 
delphia about  ye  7th  of  8th  month  last,  excepting  nine 
of  the  servants  that  were  pressed  on  board  a  ship  (or 
man  of  war)  at  Monsterat." 

The  delays  and  dangers  of  some  of  those  who  made 
26 


SPANISH    GALLEONS 


TYPE    OF    WILLIAM    PENN  S    SHIP    WELCOME 

(From  an  engraving  of  the  period) 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

the  venture  to  America  in  1682  did  not  discourage  other 
adventurous  home-seekers.  From  London  James  Clay- 
poole  wrote  in  1682  that  he  was  thinking  seriously  of 
removing  with  his  family  to  Pennsylvania,  and  that 
he  was  trying  to  arrange  his  "busyness"  so  as  to  leave 
in  the  spring  of  1683.  "I  have  100  acres  where  our 
Capitall  City  is  to  be  upon  ye  River  near  Schoolkill 
and  Peter  Cooks,"  he  wrote.  "There  I  intend  to  plan 
&  build  my  first  house  .  .  .  We  are  in  treaty  for  a 
good  vessel  to  carry  us.  I  am  in  Treaty  wth  one  Jeffries 
Mr.  of  a  shipp  of  500  Tunn,  wch  will  require  2  mos. 
time  to  gett  ready  in."  Though  Jeffries  had  not  yet 
made  a  voyage  to  the  Delaware  he  had  been  several 
times  to  Virginia,  and  Claypoole  felt  confident  he 
would  be  able  to  take  passengers  and  goods  safely. 
There  would  be  room  for  "80  Passingirs  and  50  Ton  of 
goods,"  so  the  anxious  man,  hoping  to  secure  the  load 
as  soon  as  possible,  recommended  him  highly  to  any 
friends  in  Ireland  who  had  "a  purpose  of  going  to 
Pennsylvania  or  New  Jarsy."  He  assured  intending 
passengers  that  late  news  from  Pennsylvania  was  good, 
and  he  offered  to  write  to  any  who  might  apply  for 
information.  He  would  be  ready  to  tell  how  the  country 
on  the  Delaware  was  "liked  for  Pleasantness." 

At  length  the  complement  of  passengers  and  freight 
was  made  up  and  Claypoole  began  his  voyage  to 
America.  Late  in  1683  he  wrote  from  Philadelphia 
the  assurance  that  all  had  gone  well: 

"We  went  on  board  the  Concord  at  Gravesend  the 
24  5  mo.  and  after  we  lost  sight  of  England  wch  was  in 
about  3  weeks  time,  we  were  49  days  before  we  saw 
land  in  America,  and  the  18  mo.  some  of  us  went  ashore 

27 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

in  Pennsylvania:  the  blesing  of  the  Lord  did  attend 
us  so  that  we  had  a  verry  comfortable  passage,  and 
had  our  health  all  the  way." 

Another  of  the  venturesome ,'» pilgrims  of  1683  was 
William  Hudson,  Junior,  a  young  man  of  twenty-one. 
When  he  learned  of  the  advantages  of  Penn's  Planta- 
tion he  asked  his  father's  approval  of  the  journey.  The 
father  was  not  only  glad  to  give  his  permission,  but 
he  added  capital  to  the  sum  the  young  man  had  in- 
herited from  his  mother. 

In  company  with  James  Marshall,  of  York,  and 
others,  Hudson  set  out  for  Philadelphia,  and  when  he 
landed  he  made  haste  to  file  for  record  the  following 
curious  record: 

"James  Marshall  and  Rachell  his  wife  are  now 
determined,  through  God's  assistance,  to  Transport 
themselves  wth  their  family  into  ye  Province  of  Pensil- 
vania  in  America,  as  also  Willm  Hudson,  ye  younger  of 
ye  said  Citty  of  Wch  they  have  acquainted  Many  ffriends 
.  .  .  and  further,  touching  the  aforesaid  Wm  Hudson, 
he  being  in  an  unmarried  state,  we  know  nothing  but 
that  he  is  clear  from  all  p'sons  whoever,  in  relation  to 
marriage.  And  if  it  shall  please  God  y*  he  shall  find 
Inclination  in  himself  to  alter  his  state  with  respect  to 
Marry  in  Amerrica,  his  ffather  hath  freely  given  him 
up  to  the  exercise  of  Truth  in  his  own  Spirit  wth  the 
advice  and  satisfaction  of  the  Church  of  God  there, 
In  relation  thereunto." 

Five  years  after  the  arrival  of  young  Hudson  in 
Pennsylvania  he  took  advantage  of  his  father's  per- 
mission and  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Richardson,  Provisional  Councillor,  and  a  justice,  one 
of  the  most  prominent  of  the  settlers. 
28 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

Not  long  after  William  Hudson  began  his  voyage 
in  search  of  a  wife  John  Chapman  and  his  family  closed 
the  doors  of  the  farmhouse  in  Yorkshire  where  they 
had  lived  joyfully  together  and  went  to  New  Castle 
upon  the  river  Tyne.  There  they  embarked  for 
America. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  beginning  of  the  voyage  "they 
had  a  mighty  Storm  which  blew  so  tempestuously  that 
in  short  it  carried  away"  much  of  the  rigging.  "It 
likewise  took  their  awnings  above  the  Quarter  Deck 
and  left  not  as  much  as  a  Yard  of  rope  above  their 
heads.  All  which  was  done  in  the  space  of  half  an 
hour  and  they  lay  thus  distressed  by  a  pitfull  wreck 
all  that  night  (they  having  lost  their  Masts  about 
12°ClockintheDay)." 

Two  days  later  they  were  lying  "without  hopes  of 
recovery,  being  then  about  200  Leagues  from  the  Land 
of  America  but  through  God's  mercy  they  Got  in 
Sight  of  the  Capes  of  Virginia." 

The  time  from  Aberdeen  to  the  Capes  was  about 
nine  weeks.  The  remainder  of  the  voyage  was  without 
special  event. 

George  Haworth  was  not  so  fortunate  when  he  set 
out  from  Liverpool  in  1699.  After  he  had  recovered 
from  the  effects  of  his  fourteen  week's  voyage,  he  wrote 
to  members  of  his  family  in  Yorkshire: 

"A  long  and  tedious  journey  we  had,  for  we  being 
over  many  throng'd  in  the  Ship,  I  believe  hurt  many, 
for  we  had  many  distempers  among  us,  as  Fever,  Flux 
and  Jaundice,  and  many  died  at  Sea  about  56  and  at 
Shore  there  died  about  20." 

One  of  the  dying  passengers  asked  that  his  goods  be 

29 


\ 

THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

returned  to  kindred  at  Liverpool.  The  writer's  sister 
did  not  live  to  reach  land,  and  she  left  her  household 
goods  to  a  sister  who  was  also  among  the  passengers. 

These  trying  experiences  did  not  lead  Haworth  to 
urge  kindred  at  home  not  to  follow  him,  though  he  took 
opportunity  to  warn  them  to  be  careful  not  to  come 
"too  many  in  the  Ship  as  we  did."  Then  he  added 
that  the  crowding  in  the  hot  weather  of  midsummer 
increased  the  mortality  and  made  provisions  short. 
"We  wanted  Water  and  Beer  to  drink,"  he  wrote,  "for 
having  salt  Beef,  we  were  much  athirst  .  .  .  the 
seamen  stowed  the  Hold  so  full  of  Goods  that  they  had 
not  room  for  Water  and  Beer.  But  if  any  come,  let 
them  bring  for  themselves  over  and  besides  the  Ships 
allowance  Spices  and  Brandy  and  Cheese  let  the  Sea- 
men pretend  what  they  will;  or  else  victual  themselves 
and  bargain  for  being  carried  over  and  goods  and  then 
bring  for  yourselves  but  a  little  Beef  and  some  bacon, 
and  wheat  flour  is  very  good." 

Two  years  later,  in  the  light  of  experience  gained 
in  the  new  country,  Haworth  wrote: 

"Be  sure  to  come  free,  but  if  you  come  servants, 
they  must  be  sold  for  4  or  5  years  and  work  hard." 

Evidently  he  had  been  in  touch  with  many  who, 
unable  to  pay  their  passage,  had  engaged  to  the  captain 
to  sell  their  services  on  landing.  To  have  to  work  four 
or  five  years  in  return  for  the  advance  of  five  pounds 
of  passage  money  would  seem  a  hardship;  but  there 
were  hundreds  and,  later,  thousands  who  made  their 
beginning  in  the  new  land  thus. 

This  would  seem  an  especially  bad  bargain  to  those 
30 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

whose  passage  was  as  hard  as  that  of  Abel  Morgan,  a 
Baptist  minister  who  sailed  from  Bristol  with  his 
family  on  June  28,  1711.  At  once  after  leaving  port 
they  were  compelled  to  put  back  to  Milford  Haven, 
and  three  weeks  passed  before  they  could  resume  the 
voyage.  Then  they  were  driven  by  a  storm  to  Cork, 
Ireland.  Here  they  remained  five  weeks.  At  last  they 
started  on  the  voyage  for  the  third  time.  In  December 
Mrs.  Morgan  died,  as  well  as  her  little  son.  Not  until 
February  12,  1712,  was  the  voyage  completed.  But  in 
a  letter  to  his  old  congregation  in  Wales,  Morgan  had 
no  word  of  complaint  to  offer,  but  said,  merely,  "The 
will  of  God  must  be  done."  The  passengers  were 
hungry,  "but  all  this  is  ended,  and  we  arrived  in  the 
land  of  bread,"  was  the  message. 

Samuel  Sansom  had  a  trying  experience  in  1732. 
On  September  9  he  set  sail  from  England  on  the  ship 
John.  There  were  many  tempests  during  the  voyage, 
but  the  worst  of  these  came  on  November  13,  when  the 
vessel  was  within  sight  of  land.  The  passenger  whose 
account  of  the  hazards  of  the  voyage  is  still  treasured 
by  his  descendants,  said: 

"We  were  beat  off  the  coast  by  a  terrible  N.  W. 
wind,  ...  On  the  ninth  of  December  about  eleven 
O'Clock  in  the  forenoon,  we  made  the  Capes,  and  got 
in  good  anchoring  ground.  The  next  business  was  to 
get  a  Pilot.  For  which  purpose  our  Captain  sent  his 
boat  with  Samuel  Neave1,  Anthony  Duche,  and  Robert 
Best,  passengers,  and  three  sailors.  The  wind  blew 
fresh  when  they  went  off,  and  in  the  evening  blew  hard, 

1  Samuel  Neave  was  for  more  than  twenty-five  years  a  prominent 
merchant  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Non-Import- 
ation Agreement. 

31 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

so  we  could  not  expect  them  that  night;  but  the  next 
morning  being  pretty  still  we  fully  expected  them, 
with  a  pilot;  not  knowing  that  the  Creek  they  were  to 
go  over  was  frozen  so  hard  occasioned  their  stay.  So 
we  lay  four  days  in  expectation  of  a  pilot,  but  none 
came  off  to  us,  nor  was  there  but  one  in  the  place,  and 
he  was  engaged  to  another  ship." 

For  this  reason  the  captain  thought  it  best  to  accept 
the  offer  made  by  a  passing  ship  captain  of  his  boat- 
swain, who,  he  said,  could  serve  as  a  pilot,  since  he  had 
made  two  trips  up  the  Delaware  to  Philadelphia. 

"Orders  were  given  to  weigh  anchor  and  make  sail 
directly,  our  sails  were  set,  our  top-sails  unreefed,  and 
away  we  went  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  or  knots  an  hour," 
the  account  continued.  "The  tide  being  strong  drew 
us  very  fast  ...  we  had  not  sailed  above  7  or  8 
leagues  before  we  found  to  our  very  great  surprise  our 
ship  fast  aground,  .  .  .  everybody  was  very  eager  to 
save  their  lives  which  we  had  no  hopes  of  but  our  long 
boat  .  .  .  everybody  being  willing  to  save  some 
clothes,  as  well  as  their  lives,  the  captain  himself 
setting  an  example,  he  permitted  every  person  to  put 
in  a  bundle,  which  was  no  sooner  done  but  the  women, 
and  those  that  could  not  so  readily  help  themselves, 
were  ordered  to  get  in  first  .  .  .  before  the  boat  was 
hoisted  along  side  it  was  almost  half  full  of  bundles, 
and  seven  people  went  in,  but  .  .  .  she  went  down 
headforemost,  and  stood  right  on  end.  The  water 
flowed  in  immediately  and  the  boat  stove  along  side. 
Seven  people  went  in,  but  four  came  up  alive,  and  one 
of  the  four  died  presently  after." 

The  boat  being  lost,  the  remainder  of  the  ship's 

company  had  to  depend  on  the  "cracked  ship"  for 

safety.    So  they  did  their  best  to  lighten  ship,  throwing 

overboard  about  twenty  tons  of  ballast.    The  main- 

32 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

mast,  too,  was  cut  away.  But  it  was  still  impossible 
to  free  the  vessel  from  the  shoal.  In  despair,  a  lookout 
was  kept  for  ships.  No  less  than  six  approached.  Dis- 
tress signals  were  made,  but  "they  would  take  no 
notice  of  us,"  the  author  of  the  account  wrote  sorrow- 
fully. Then  he  went  on: 

"We  contrived  at  last  to  make  a  little  boat,  though 
we  had  no  tools  fit  for  it,  for  the  carpenter's  tools  were 
lost  in  the  long-boat;  however,  they  nailed  a  few  boards 
together,  and  three  people  were  appointed  to  go  in  it — 
two  sailors  and  a  clergyman,  who  went  purely  to  serve 
the  company  and  to  get  relief  with  a  letter  from  our 
captain  of  my  writing.  These  poor  creatures  were 
twenty-two  hours  upon  the  open  sea,  in  this  small 
thing,  and  the  weather  being  excessive  cold  froze  the 
sailors'  legs  to  the  boat,  and  the  clergyman,  who  was 
not  used  to  such  hardships,  was  froze  to  death  soon 
after  he  got  to  shore.  ...  I  with  many  more, 
although  our  number  was  now  reduced,  was  five  days 
and  nights  on  a  wreck  in  the  coldest  time  in  the  hard 
winter,  which  has  been  so  severe  that  the  inhabitants 
here  say  they  scarcely  ever  saw  the  like,  and  to  be  in  a 
cold  wrecked  ship  in  the  open  sea  surely  it  was  the 
greatest  of  mercies  we  perished  not  with  cold. 

"On  the  sixth  day  of  our  calamities,  when  we  had 
given  over  all  thoughts  of  being  saved,  ...  a  sloop 
came  into  the  bay,  which  the  inhabitants  of  Lewes- 
town  forced  to  come  and  save  us." 

The  survivors  were  landed  at  Lewestown,  where 
they  remained  twelve  days.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
"Nath1  Palmer,  starch  maker,  in  Philadelphia,"  helped 
Mr.  Neave  and  the  annalist  to  reach  the  city  where  he 
lived,  promising  to  care  for  them  in  his  house. 

"It  may  not  be  amiss  to  give  thee  some  account  of 

33 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

our  travel  by  land,"  the  story  went  on.  "Lewestown 
is  150  or  as  some  say  160  miles  from  this  place.  So  N. 
Palmer  bought  S.  Neave  &  I  each  a  horse  to  ride  to 
this  town,  which  we  accomplished  in  three  days,  and 
about  three  hours,  which  was  very  hard  traveling 
indeed,  being  short  days,  and  the  roads  deep  with  snow, 
and  through  woods  that  for  a  great  many  miles  we 
could  see  no  house." 

Ten  years  after  Samuel  Sansom's  experience  there 
was  begun  the  adventurous  voyage  of  the  first  Moravian 
colony,  which  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1742,  on  the 
way  to  make  settlement  on  the  estate  of  the  Church 
in  Pennsylvania.  The  party  set  sail  in  the  "skow" 
Catharine,  which  had  been  bought  by  Bishop  Spangen- 
burg  for  600  pounds.  The  Bishop's  experience  in 
fitting  out  the  Georgia  Moravian  colony,  some  time 
before,  assured  those  who  were  following  his  guidance 
that  their  comfort  would  be  well  provided  for.  But 
they  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  for  the  voyage 
to  America  brought  them  many  trials. 

First  the  single  men  took  up  their  confined  quarters 
in  the  Catharine.  After  a  few  days  the  married  couples 
and  the  English  colonists  followed  them.  In  all  there 
were  fifty-six  passengers  on  board,  as  well  as  the  cap- 
tain, the  mate  and  six  sailors.  There  was  much  anxiety, 
for  they  knew  that  not  only  would  they  have  to  brave 
the  perils  of  the  Atlantic  at  a  stormy  time  of  the  year, 
but  that  they  ran  grave  risk  of  capture  by  men-of-war 
of  France  and  Spain,  with  which  countries  England 
was  at  war.  But  the  passengers  were  ready  to  face 
any  necessary  danger  because  of  their  desire  to  make 
their  way  to  Philadelphia  and  beyond.  Courage  was 
renewed  when  Bishop  Spangenburg  boarded  the  vessel 
34 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

at  Gravesend  and  commended  the  little  company  to 
God's  protection. 

John  Philip  Meurer,  one  of  the  pilgrims,  told  in 
his  journal  of  the  events  of  the  weeks  that  followed. 
Graphically  he  spoke  of  the  mountainous  waves  of  the 
Bay  of  Biscay  which  caught  the  little  bark  and  tossed 
it  up  and  down  like  a  nutshell.  Of  course  nearly  every- 
body was  seasick.  Later,  when  a  sudden  squall  struck 
the  Catharine,  the  sails  and  the  tackling  became  en- 
tangled. Many  of  the  colonists  assisted  the  sailors  at 
the  ropes.  The  captain  was  surprised  and  delighted 
at  the  calmness  and  courage  of  his  passengers. 

Twelve  days  after  England  had  been  left  behind,  a 
mysterious  vessel  was  discovered  standing  directly 
towards  the  Catharine.  But  suddenly  there  was  a 
calm,  and  both  vessels  became  motionless.  Darkness 
fell  before  the  wind  rose.  During  the  night  the  vessels 
drifted  apart.  Next  day,  when  the  Catharine  entered 
the  port  of  Fuhchal,  Madeira,  the  captain  learned  that 
the  stranger  which  they  had  so  providentially  escaped 
was  a  Spanish  privateer. 

But  a  still  narrower  escape  was  to  follow.  One  day 
a  privateer  approached  and  it  was  felt  that  capture 
was  inevitable.  This  would  mean  spoliation  at  least, 
perhaps  even  death.  The  Catharine  was  unarmed,  so 
resistance  was  out  of  the  question.  When  the  vessels 
were  so  close  that  all  that  took  place  on  one  could  be 
observed  plainly  on  the  other,  the  captain  ordered  all 
male  passengers  on  deck  and  stationed  them  so  that 
sails  could  be  lowered  in  an  instant  when  the  demand 
for  surrender  should  come.  For  some  reason  the 
demand  did  not  come.  The  Spaniard  did  not  fire  a 

35 


THE    ROMANCE    OF   OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

single  shot;  evidently  the  preparations  on  board  the 
Catharine  were  misunderstood.  At  length  the  vessels 
began  to  draw  apart,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  enemy 
was  far  astern. 

The  hazards  of  the  voyage  were  not  yet  over.  When 
almost  within  sight  of  Philadelphia,  the  watchman  one 
night  accidentally  disarranged  the  windlass.  The 
anchor  cable  began  to  unwind  and  the  vessel  threatened 
to  go  ashore.  Prompt  action  by  the  captain,  the  crew 
and  the  passengers  averted  the  danger,  and  the  voyage 
was  continued  to  the  Schuylkill. 

Four  years  later  an  emigrant  who  arrived  in  the 
Delaware  after  an  uneventful  voyage  on  the  John 
Galley,  found  that  the  hardest  part  of  the  journey  was 
to  come.  It  was  December  22  when  Cape  Henlopen 
appeared.  The  Delaware  was  closed  by  ice.  After  a 
week  the  sturdy  homeseeker  left  the  vessel  in  a  boat, 
which  landed  with  difficulty  one  mile  below  Lewes. 
The  snow  was  deep,  and  the  town  was  reached  only 
after  a  hard  struggle.  There  a  horse  and  sled  were 
bought  and  the  last  stage  of  the  journey  to  Philadelphia 
was  begun.  On  December  30  it  was  possible  to  make 
but  fourteen  miles  through  the  deep  snow.  At  the 
house  of  the  settler  where  refuge  was  found  that  night, 
a  second  horse  was  bought.  But  by  the  next  day  the 
snow  had  become  so  much  deeper  that,  even  with  two 
horses,  it  was  again  impossible  to  make  more  than 
fourteen  miles.  The  last  night  of  the  year  was  spent  at 
what  the  traveler  called  with  disgust  "a  miserable  inn." 

On  New  Year's  Day,  Dover,  Delaware,  was  reached 
after  many  trials.  In  one  of  the  twenty  houses  of  the 
settlement  the  night  was  spent,  and  strength  was 
36 


THE    DUEL    BETWEEN    BLACKBEARD    AND    MAYNARD 


THE   HOME   IN   ENGLAND   FROM   WHICH   JAMES   CLAYPOOLE   CAME 
(Claypoole  Manor,  Norborough,  England) 


<  £ 

I! 


g:§ 
5~ 


a-§ 


PH  — 

M 

C 

~e 

2 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

secured  for  the  next  day's  struggle — nineteen  miles 
through  heavy  drifts.  Next  day  it  proved  impossible 
to  do  so  well,  for  the  thick  crust  of  the  snow  cut  the 
legs  of  the  horses. 

To  Wilmington  the  traveler  came  after  two  days 
more.  There  two  extra  horses  were  hired  and  it  proved 
possible  to  push  on  to  Chester  for  the  last  night  out  of 
Philadelphia.  Finally,  on  January  6,  eight  days  from 
Lewes,  the  emigrant  completed  his  weary  progress  to 
the  town  which  he  had  been  seeking  since  September  27. 

Fortunately  such  tales  of  hardship  did  not  deter 
others  from  following  in  the  steps  of  the  ardent  pioneers 
who  conquered  the  storms  of  both  sea  and  shore  in 
their  eagerness  to  make  a  home  in  the  wilderness. 
Each  year  there  was  an  increasing  number  of  emigrants 
until  at  length,  long  before  the  close  of  the  first  century 
of  Philadelphia's  history,  the  town  of  Penn's  founding 
was  the  leading  town  of  the  colonies. 

One  of  the  most  picturesque  accounts  of  an  Atlantic 
voyage  told  by  an  emigrant  came  from  the  pen  of  John 
Henry  Helffrich,  who  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1771-72. 

The  first  days  out  were  so  stormy  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  make  fire  on  the  ship,  and  the  captain  cooked 
soup  for  a  child  "over  candle  light."  The  sailors  "had 
to  stand  in  water  on  the  deck  up  to  the  calves  of  their 
legs."  One  morning  a  wave  came  through  a  window 
to  a  cabin  of  a  passenger  and  he  was  nearly  drowned 
in  his  bed  .  .  .  "The  waves  came  rolling  like  moun- 
tains, now  we  were  high  up,  now  deep  down,  now  lying 
on  one  side  and  then  again  on  the  other  .  .  .  Many 
chickens  and  ducks  perished  on  deck  because  of  the 
quantities  of  sea  water  there." 

37 


THE     ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Other  odd  entries  were  made  in  Helffrich's  journal: 
"A  rat  tried  to  take  the  comforter  away  from  the 
child,  and,  as  it  did  not  want  to  give  it  up,  it  was  bitten 
on  the  finger.  .  .  .  The  child  screamed,  the  mother 
awoke  and  the  rat  ran  off  ...  All  sails  were  taken 
in  during  a  heavy  downpour.  We  passengers  helped 
to  haul  the  sails  in  ...  Our  terror  was  still  more 
increased  when  the  captain  called  to  us  to  load  our 
rifles  .  .  .  The  danger  was  this,  the  water  around  us 
here  and  there  was  drawn  up  in  the  form  of  an  arrow. 
When  it  falls,  it  comes  down  with  such  force  that,  if 
it  hits  a  ship,  it  breaks  it  to  pieces,  and  even  if  it  touches 
the  ship  but  slightly  it  smashes  the  deck.  It  follows 
the  ships.  The  English  call  it  a  water  spout  .  .  . 
The  only  means  to  scatter  the  rising  water  is  to  break 
it  up  by  shooting." 

Soon  famine  was  added  to  the  difficulties  of  the 
voyagers: 

"For  eight  days  we  have  had  no  beef,  nothing  but 
some  sides  of  bacon  and  peas.  All  the  flour,  which  we 
intended  to  save  up,  has  been  spoiled  by  the  rats. 
What  will  become  of  us.  But  God  will  help  us  ... 
This  aftejnoon  we  caught  the  first  fish  with  the  lines. 
It  was  a  dolphin,  weighing  between  40  and  50  pounds 
.  .  .  This  afternoon  we  saw  for  over  an  hour,  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach,  everywhere  full  of  fish,  now  they 
showed  their  heads,  now  their  backs  above  water.  They 
were  the  kind  that  eat  up  people.  The  English  call 
them  porpoises  .  .  .  This  morning  they  began  doling 
out  the  water.  Everyone,  passenger  as  well  as  sailor, 
gets  daily  about  two  and  a  half  pints.  Of  this  he  must 
again  give  up  some  for  tea  and  soup.  In  the  forenoon 
each  passenger  gets  a  little  glass  of  wine  .  .  .  We 
have  only  a  small  supply  of  peas.  We  get  them  twice 
a  week  with  bacon.  Then  we  have  yet  four  hams  and 
some  pickled  beef.  Occasionally  cold  beef,  cut  into 
small  pieces,  together  with  biscuit  and  water  are  cooked 

33 


FACING   THE   STORMY    ATLANTIC 

into  a  soup  .  .  .  We  are  already  suffering  hunger  and 
thirst  .  .  .  This  morning  our  last  hog  was  washed 
overboard." 

At  length,  on  January  14,  1772,  the  three  months' 
voyage  ended  and  the  hungry,  storm-tossed  passengers 
ate  heartily  and  rested  in  comfort  among  the  hospitable 
people  of  Philadelphia. 

Most  of  those  who  were  called  upon  to  endure  such 
privations  as  these  were  sustained  by  the  hope  that 
they  were  about  to  better  their  fortunes.  There  were 
some,  however,  for  whom  the  end  of  the  voyage  must 
be  the  beginning  of  servitude;  for  a  period  of  three, 
four  or  five  years  they  were  to  be  at  the  direction  of 
some  master  who  would  advance  the  cost  of  their 
transportation.  But  probably  there  was  not  among 
these  redeniptioners,  as  they  were  called,  a  heavier 
heart  than  that  of  Richard  Annesley,  whose  story  gave 
Charles  Reade  the  foundation  for  his  novel,  "The 
Wandering  Heir."  Annesley  was  spirited  away  from 
his  English  home  in  1728,  and  was  carried  to  the  Dela- 
ware, where  he  was  sold  to  a  master  who  made  good 
his  passage  money.  The  story  of  the  journey  and  the 
later  experiences  was  told  in  the  curious  volume, 
"Memoirs  of  an  Unfortunate  Young  Nobleman," 
published  in  London  in  1743.  In  this  book  Annesley 
told  his  adventure  in  the  third  person,  under  the  name 
of  Baron  de  Altamont.  Unknown  to  himself,  his  father 
had  died,  and  a  scheming  uncle  carried  him  aboard 
a  ship  bound  for  America,  informing  him  that  the  cap- 
tain would  take  him  to  school.  The  knowledge  that 
he  was  not  to  be  a  pampered  passenger  but  a  servant 
came  to  him  with  a  great  shock.  The  story  is  told  thus : 

39 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"The  Hurricane,  which  had  continued  Near  three 
Hours,  being  ceased,  and  the  Waves  resuming  a  More 
smiling  Face,  a  Cloth  was  spread  in  the  Captain's 
Cabbin  for  him  to  take  some  Refreshment  after  the 
late  Fatigue.  .  .  .  The  Chevalier  James,  who  had 
been  there  during  the  Storm,  was  going  to  sit  down  at 
the  Table.  'Hold,  youngster,'  cried  one  of  the  rough 
Tarpaulins,  pulling  him  away,  'Do  you  think  you  are 
to  be  a  Mess-mate  with  the  Captain?'  'The  Boy 
.  .  .  will  know  his  Distance  better  hereafter,'  the 
Captain  said  .  .  .  The  Chevalier  .  .  .  now  began 
to  mutter,  and  say,  that  as  soon  as  he  got  out  of  the 
Ship,  he  would  send  his  Father  an  account  how  they 
used  him  .  .  .  Then,  the  unhappy  Youth  became 
acquainted  with  the  Treachery  of  his  inhuman  Uncle, 
and  that  instead  of  being  made  an  accomplished  Noble- 
man, he  was  going  to  the  worst  kind  of  Servitude." 

The  captain  began  to  fear  that  the  unfortunate 
young  man  would  throw  himself  overboard  or  would 
starve  himself.  That  the  passage  money,  to  be  secured 
from  the  purchaser  of  the  services  of  Annesley,  might 
not  be  lost,  the  captain  did  his  best  to  calm  his  troubled 
mind,  assuring  him  that  there  was  nothing  so  terrifying 
in  the  name  of  slave,  after  all,  for  this  was  only  another 
name  for  an  apprentice,  and  many  noblemen's  sons 
were  apprenticed. 

But  when  land  was  reached  Annesley's  worst  fears 
were  realized.  A  master  appeared,  the  first  of  many 
who  made  him  toil  for  thirteen  long  years,  or  until  a 
fortunate  accident  restored  him  to  his  English  home 
and  estate. 

But  Annesley's  case  was  exceptional.  For  most  of 
the  emigrants,  even  the  redemptioners,  the  landing  on 
Pennsylvania  soil  was  the  beginning  of  better  things. 
40 


FACING   THE   STORMY   ATLANTIC 

The  perils  of  the  passage  across  the  Atlantic  were 
forgotten,  or  were  perhaps  recalled  with  reminiscent 
pleasure  during  the  long  evenings  after  the  work  of 
the  day  was  done,  when  neighbors  gathered  for  gossip 
about  the  blazing  hearth.  "Rememberest  that  day  of 
the  storm  when  the  mast  was  carried  away?  "  one  might 
ask.  "And  what  of  the  time  when  they  had  to  measure 
out  the  water  and  the  meal?"  another  memory  would 
follow,  perhaps.  So  for  an  hour  or  two  the  days  of  the 
past  would  be  lived  over  again,  until  the  signal  for 
breaking  up  would  be  given  by  one  who  would  say,  as 
he  lifted  back  his  chair,  "Those  were  great  days!" 


II 

HOUSE  BUILDING  AND  HOME  MAKING 

THE  HOUSE  JAMES  CLAYPOOLE  WANTED — DEALING  WITH  CAVE  HOUSES 
THAT  BECAME  PUBLIC  NUISANCES — THE  GOODS  PAID  FOR  THREE 
HUNDRED  SQUARE  MILES  OF  LAND — PIONEER  HARDSHIPS — A  THIEF 
AND  A  CROWDED  HOUSE — THE  LUXURY  OF  WINDOW  PANES — WHAT 
WAS  BOUGHT  AT  THE  VENDUE — DINNER-GIVING  IND  DINNER  MANNERS 
— THE  WOES  OF  HOUSECLEANINQ. 

£  {  "T  T  EE  arriving  in  health  in  ye  Country  I  expect 

I — I    he  should  entr  upon  my  land,  where  ye  first 

-»•   -*•   Citty  is  intended  to  be  built.     And  there 

with  the  advise  of  Wm.  Penn  Doctr  Moor 

Tho:  Holmes  Ralph  Withers  and  thyself e:  I  would  have 

him  to  begin  to  build  a  house  that  may  receive  us." 

So  ran  the  message  sent  in  168,2  by  James  Claypoole 
to  John  Goodson  concerning  Edward  Cole,  a  workman 
who  was  about  to  sail  from  England  to  America  in 
Goodson's  company.  Claypoole,  who  was  one  of  the 
wealthiest  of  the  early  emigrants,  did  not  propose 
to  reach  the  new  country  until  a  comfortable  house 
had  been  provided  for  him. 

Cole  was  an  indentured  servant,  bound  to  Claypoole 
for  four  years.  His  master  described  him  as  "an  honest 
man,"  and  said  he  was  sent  "to  build  me  a  slight 
house  and  plant  an  orchard  and  clear  some  ground 
with  the  help  of  a  Carpentr  that  is  going  with  another 
friend."  He  was  not  only  a  brick-maker,  but  he  was 
skilled  "in  planting  and  husbandrie,  an  industrious 
solid  man  about  57  yeares  old,  and  one  called  a  Quaker." 

As  to  his  own  plans,  Claypoole  wrote,  "If  it  pleases 
42 


HOUSE    BUILDING   AND    HOME    MAKING 

ye  lord  wee  arrive  there  in  the  2d  or  3d  month  next." 
Then  he  went  on  to  discuss  details  of  the  house  he 
desired:  "If  it  be  but  a  sleight  house  like  a  barne 
with  one  floor  of  two  Chambers:  and  will  hold  us  and 
our  goods  and  keep  us  from  ye  sun  &  weathr  it  may 
suffice;  I  would  also  have  some  trees  planted  at  ye 
right  season  for  an  orchard  between  the  trees  growinge 
wch  may  be  either  Lowp'd  or  sawed  of  near  ye  toppe 
or  roote  as  is  most  advisable:  but  for  Grubbing  up,  I 
think  that  may  be  left  till  I  com  with  more  help:  I 
need  not  name  the  fruite  trees  but  I  would  have  all 
such  sorts  as  or  neghbours  here  do  plant.  But  princi- 
pally I  would  have  him  look  out  for  Earth  to  make 
Bricks  and  prepare  as  much  as  he  cann  in  ye  Most 
convenient  place  to  work  upon  in  Spring  .... 
I  would  have  a  sellar  undr  ye  house  if  it  may  bee." 

Later  in  the  letter  is  a  passage  which  was  charac- 
teristic of  the  day: 

"Truly  My  desire  is  y*  we  may  all  have  an  Eye  to 
ye  Lord  in  all  or  undertakings  who  is  the  great  provider 
for  all  and  ye  preserver  of  all;  that  we  may  soe  live  in 
his  fear  y*  we  may  honnr  his  Name  and  truth  and  in  our 
whole  conversation  answr  his  wittness  in  all  people  so 
shall  righteousness  establish  our  Nation,  and  our  habi- 
tations be  in  peace  and  safety  even  in  Jerusalem,  that 
is  a  quiet  habitation  .  .  .  " 

That  nothing  was  left  undone  to  provide  for  the 
comfort  of  his  family  when  he  should  reach  the  new 
town  of  Philadelphia  is  evident  again  from  a  letter 
sent  by  Claypoole  to  his  brother  in  Barbadoes.  In 
this  he  asked  for  "2  good  stout  negroe  men,  such  as 
are  like  to  be  plyable  and  good  natured:  and  ingenious: 

43 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

I  question  not  but  thou  knowes  better  than  I  doe 
wch  may  be  fittest  for  me.  and  I  hope  thou  wilt  be 
so  kind  as  to  lett  me  have  those  w°h  are  good  likely 
men:  for  some  I  hear  are  so  ill  natured  and  surrly, 
that  a  man  had  better  keep  a  Bear,  and  some  again  so 
ingenious  dillig*  and  good  natured  that  they  are  a  great 
comfort  and  Benefitt  to  a  man  and  his  family:  And 
my  family  is  great  and  I  have  3  young  children :  so  that 
it  may  be  prejudiciall  to  me  to  have  bad  negroes:  I 
would  also  have  a  boy  and  a  girle  to  serve  in  my  house 
I  would  not  have  either  of  them  undr  10  years  or 
above  20." 

With  the  brickmaker,  there  went  to  Philadelphia 
for  Claypoole's  house  "Ironmongers  ware:  tools  for 
workinge  and  some  materialls  towards  ye  building  of 
a  house." 

These  goods  were  probably  landed  at  "that  low 
Sandy  Beach  since  called  the  Blue  Anchor,"  for  this 
was  from  the  beginning  the  accepted  landing  place  for 
all  the  goods  and  chattels  of  the  colonists  when  they 
left  the  vessels  on  which  they  made  their  weary  passage 
from  England.  A  court  document  recorded  in  1753 
said,  "Persons  have  ever  since  used  it  as  a  Common 
Free  Landing  for  Stores,  Loggs,  Hay  and  all  such  kind  of 
Lumber  and  other  Goods  which  can  no  way  be  with 
like  ease  or  safety  brought  and  landed  to  any  other 
Wharf  and  place  in  the  City." 

It  was  close  to  this  free  landing  place  that  the  first 
house  in  Philadelphia  was  built,  and  it  was  not  far 
from  here  that  Cole  was  asked  to  build  Claypoole's 
house,  concerning  which  the  following  specific  direc- 
tions were  sent  to  the  brickmaker: 

44 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

"I  would  willingly  have  a  cellr  undr  ye  house  for  I 
shall  bring  wines  and  other  liquors  y*  the  heat  may 
otherwise  spoyle  .  .  .  write  what  things  is  most 
wanted  for  my  concernes  there,  and  what  kind  of  land 
my  Lott  is,  and  how  it  lyes  as  to  ye  River  &c  and  what 
watr  and  trees  and  all  things  needful  to  be  known  when 
thou  hast  got  a  hovell  to  keep  thee  safe,  and  provition 
without  much  charg  for  food,  thou  wert  best  buy  a  Cow 
and  a  Sow  or  two  for  breed,  but  in  all  things  get  good 
advise." 

By  "2  .  10  mo  .  1683"  the  Claypoole  "great" 
family  including  his  "3  young  Children"  had  been  for 
two  months  snugly  placed  in  the  house  for  which  so 
many  plans  had  been  made.  Concerning  it  he  wrote 
on  that  day  to  his  brother  in  Barbadoes: 

"I  found  my  servant  had  builded  me  a  house  like  a 
barne  without  a  Chimney  40  foot  long  and  20  broad, 
with  a  good  dry  Cellar  under  it  which  proved  an  extra- 
ordinary conveniency  for  securing  our  goods  and  lodging 
my  family,  Although  it  Stood  me  in  very  dear,  for  he 
had  run  me  up  for  dyat — &  work — near  60  Ib.  Sturling 
which  I  am  paying  as  mony  ...  to  this  I  built  a 
kitchen  of  20  foot  squar  where  I  am  to  have  a  double 
Chimney  wch  I  hope  will  be  up  in  8  or  12  days." 

In  a  later  letter  he  said: 

"My  lott  proves  to  be  one  of  the  best  in  the  Town, 
having  102  foot  to  the  River  &  396  long  and  ab*  lj<- 
acre  in  the  high  street,  there  is  a  swamp  runs  by  the 
side  of  my  lott,  that  with  a  small  charge  might  be  made 
navigable,  and  a  brave  harbour  for  sloops  and  small 
ships." 

It  is  likely  that  until  the  house  was  enlarged  the 
household  goods  brought  by  Claypoole  from  England 
could  not  be  accommodated.  Most  of  the  emigrants 

45 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

had  a  much  more  modest  equipment  than  his.  Prob- 
ably the  average  array  of  furnishings  and  tools  was 
more  like  that  carefully  set  down  by  friends  of  a  trav- 
eler who  died  at  sea,  as  indicated  below: 

"A  True  Inventory  of  the  goods  and  Chattels  of 
George  Chandler  who  Deceased  the  xiii  Day  of  Decem- 
ber 1687,  in  his  passage  to  pensilvania.  Taken  and 
Apprized  by  us  Whose  Names  are  here  underwritten 
The  xth  Day  of  the  Seaventh  mo'  1688. 

"First  his  wearing  apparrell;  one  feather  bed  &  two 
bolsters,  2  blankots,  1  Coverled,  1  par  of  Sheets;  other 
beds  &  Bedding;  Pewter,  Brass,  tools  &  other  Iron- 
ware; Nayles,  Saws,  Aug'rs,  Chissells,  Gouges,  wedges, 
Locks,  Keys,  Riphooks,  and  all  other  Iron  Lumber; 
2  gunns  &  powder  &  shot  &  powder  Home;  2  Chests 
&  five  Boxes  and  2  bedsteds;  one  Barrell,  1  pare  of 
Bellows,  4  Kevers,  1  Doe  trough,  2  pailes,  10  bottles, 
and  all  other  Lumber;  a  Sow  &  9  piggs,  4  yards  &  half 
of  Sarge;  1  Ell  of  holland  or  Scotch  cloth,  threed,  pins 
&  tapes." 

Many  of  the  first  colonists  were  compelled  to  put 
up  with  rude  cave  houses,  built  in  the  sloping  ground 
above  the  Delaware.  These  could  not  have  been  very 
different  from  the  sod  houses  on  the  prairies  or  the 
potato  cellars  still  to  be  found  on  many  farms.  A 
bank  formed  the  back  of  the  house,  while  timbers 
were  driven  into  the  ground  for  the  sides  and  the  front. 
Earth  was  heaped  against  the  side  timbers,  a  door  and  a 
window  or  two  were  cut,  and  a  roof  of  timbers  cov- 
ered with  earth  completed  the  whole.  The  window 
aperture  contained  a  sliding  board  which,  when  closed, 
shut  out  some  of  the  cold  as  well  as  the  light.  Some- 
times a  bladder  or  isinglass  was  stretched  across. 
Those  who  were  able  to  display  a  small  paned  window 
46 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

were  proud   of  the  achievement  and  were  looked  on 
with  envy  by  their  neighbors. 

A  letter  written  in  1708  to  Hugh  Jones  of  Bala, 
Wales,  by  John  Jones,  told  of  conditions  as  they  were  in 
1682  when  the  first  of  the  cave  houses  were  in  use. 
He  said: 

"By  this  time  there  was  a  kind  of  neighborhood  here, 
although  as  neighbors  they  could  little  benefit  each 
other.  They  were  sometimes  employed  in  making  huts 
beneath  some  cliff,  or  under  the  hollow  banks  of 
rivulets,  thus  sheltering  themselves  where  their  fancy 
dictated.  There  were  neither  cows  nor  horses  to  be 
had  at  any  price.  'If  we  have  bread,  we  will  drink  water 
and  be  content,'  they  said;  yet  no  one  was  in  want, 
and  all  were  much  attached  to  each  other;  indeed  much 
more  so,  perhaps,  than  many  who  have  every  outward 
comfort  this  world  can  afford. 

"During  this  eventful  period  our  governor  began 
to  build  mansion  houses  at  different  intervals,  to  the 
distance  of  fifty  miles  from  the  city,  although  the 
country  appeared  a  complete  wilderness. 

"There  was,  by  this  time  no  land  to  be  bought 
within  twelve  miles  of  the  city,  and  my  father  having 
purchased  a  small  tract  of  land  married  the  widow  of 
Thomas  Llwyd  of  Penmaen.  He  now  went  to  live 
near  the  woods.  It  was  now  a  very  rare  but  pleasing 
thing  to  hear  a  neighbor's  cock  crow." 

The  crowding  of  cave  houses  along  the  water  front 
of  the  city  was  not  in  accordance  with  William  Penn's 
plan.  In  laying  out  his  checkerboard  city  he  made 
known  his  purpose  to  reserve  "the  top  of  the  bank 
as  a  common  exchange,  or  walk."  He  did  allow  some 
to  build  stores  here,  if  they  were  not  raised  higher 
than  four  feet  above  the  bank.  For  a  time  he  suc- 

47 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

ceeded  fairly  well  in  keeping  open  the  view  of  the  river 
for  those  who  walked  where  the  ground  began  to  slope 
toward  the  water. 

Many  of  the  cave  houses  near  the  river  soon 
became  a  nuisance,  and  the  Grand  Jury  found  it  neces- 
sary to  deal  summarily  with  the  owners.  The  records 
of  that  body  for  "2d  4th  Mo  1686"  include  the  following 
Presentments: 

"We  present  the  encroachments  on  the  King's 
highway  following,  viz:  of  John  Swift's  shop  on  ye  end 
of  Mulberrie  street  neer  the  delaware  river,  of  Ye  widow 
Blinston's  house  being  an  encroachment  standing  upon 
Chestnut  street  neer  delaware.  The  porch  of  Richard 
Orme  encroaching  on  ye  third  street.  John  Markome 
for  setting  his  house  or  cave  encroaching  upon  delaware 
front  street  and  John  Moone  for  encroaching  on  ye 
front  street  by  setting  his  palins  upon  ye  same." 

On  another  occasion  the  Grand  Jury  took  similar 
action: 

"We  present  Joseph  Knight  for  Suffering  drunken- 
ness &  evill  orders  in  his  Cave." 

"All  caves  by  the  water  side  as  unfit  for  houses  of 
entertainment  or  drinking  houses  A  great  grievance  & 
an  occasion  to  forestall  the  Mercat." 

Later  it  was  ordered  that,  "in  presence  of  the 
Governor's  letter  read  in  Court,  ye  high  &  pettie  con- 
stable, high  &  undersheriffs,  do  forthwith  view  what 
emptie  Caves  doe  stand  in  the  King's  highway,  in 
delaware  front  street  (which  way  or  street  is  sixty 
feet  wide)  and  that  they  forthwith  pull  down  &  demolish 
all  emptie  caves  as  they  shall  find  have  encroached 
upon  ye  said  street,  in  part  or  in  all,  and  they  shall 
secure  what  odd  goods  they  therein  find  for  y°  owners. " 
48 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

One  owner  thereupon  asked  for  "a  month's  time 
to  pull  down  his  cave  in  ye  middle  of  ye  street,"  and 
the  court  "granted  him  a  mo.  time  to  pull  it  down 
&  ordered  him  to  fill  up  the  hole  in  ye  strete." 

But  the  day  came  when  Penn's  well-laid  plans  to 
keep  open  the  view  of  the  river  came  to  nothing. 
When  he  was  absent  in  England,  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Commissioner  of  Property  by  a  number 
of  merchants  and  landowners  who  wished  to  build 
much  higher  than  the  prescribed  four  feet  above  the 
bank,  though  they  promised  that  they  would  leave 
"thirty  feet  of  ground  for  a  cart  way  under  and  above 
the  said  bank  forever."  The  Commissioner  further 
stipulated  that,  when  necessary,  they  should  "wharf 
out,"  in  order  to  preserve  the  proper  breadth,  and  that 
those  who  wished  to  have  steps  up  into  their  houses 
should  "leave  convenient  room  to  make  the  same  upon 
their  own  ground."  Between  two  adjoining  streets 
"there  was  to  be  left  at  least  ten  feet  of  ground  for  a 
public  stairs,  clear  of  all  building  over  the  same." 

So  it  was  not  long  until  the  whole  bank  was  built 
up,  and  "not  a  house  as  far  as  Pine  Street"  had  a  single 
foot  of  yard  room. 

Before  Penn's  departure  for  England  he  wrote  that 
"the  city  of  Philadelphia  now  extends  in  length  from 
River  to  River  two  miles  and  in  breadth  near  a  Mile," 
then  he  proudly  added  that  it  was  "Modelled  between 
two  Rivers  upon  a  neck  of  Land  and  that  Ships  May 
ride  in  Good  Anchorage  in  6  or  8  fathom  Water  in 
Both,  close  to  the  City  level  dry  and  wholesome,  such 
a  Situation  is  scarce  to  be  paralleled." 

All  this  land  Penn  bought  from  the  Indians  as  well 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

as  from  former  settlers.  His  method  of  payment  to 
the  original  owners  may  be  seen  from  a  deed  recorded 
in  1697: 

"We  Tammy  Sachimack  and  Weheeland,  my 
brother,  and  Wehequeekhon,  alias  Andrew,  who  is  to 
be  king  after  my  death,  Yaquekhon  alias  Nicholas, 
and  Quenamequid  alias  Charles  my  sons  for  us  our 
heirs  and  successors  grant  .  .  .  land  between  Pem- 
mepack  and  Neshaminy  extending  to  the  length  of  the 
River  Delaware  so  far  as  a  horse  can  travel  in  two  sum- 
mer days,  and  to  carry  its  breadth  according  to  the 
several  course  of  the  two  said  creeks,  and  when  the 
said  creeks  do  branch,  that  the  main  branches  granted 
shall  stretch  forth  upon  a  drrect  course  on  each  side 
and  to  carry  on  the  full  breadth  to  the  extent  of  the 
length  thereof." 

The  consideration  for  the  transfer  of  this  land — 
about  three  hundred  square  miles  in  all — was  made  up 
of  the  following  items: 

"5  p.  Stockings,  20  Barrs  Lead,  10  Tobacco  Boxes, 
6  Coates,  2  Guns,  8  Shirts,  2  Kettles,  12  Awles,  10 
Tobacco  Tongs,  6  Axes,  4  yds.  Stroud-Water,  100 
Needles,  5  Hatts,  25  Ibs.  powder,  1  Peck  Pipes,  28  yards 
Dumlls,  16  Knives,  10  pr  Scissors,  2  Blankets,  20  Hand- 
fulls  of  Wampum,  10  Glasses,  5  Capps,  15  Combs, 
5  Hoes,  9  Gimbletts,  20  Fishhooks,  7  half  Gills,  4  Hand- 
full  Bells." 

In  the  light  of  this  bargain  the  Proprietor's  state- 
ment concerning  the  Indians,  written  in  August,  1683, 
is  full  of  interest: 

"I  find  them  a  people  rude,  to  Europeans,  in  dress, 

gestures,  and  food;  but  of  a  deep  natural  sagacity. 

Say  little,  but  what  they  speak  is  fervent  and  elegant, 

if  they  please,  close  to  the  point,  and  can  be  as  evasive. 

50 


p 


r^^  0%£ty$$ 

<Sc****          *•• 


RECEIPT   FOR   PAYMENT   FOR     LAND    GIVEN   BY   THE    INDIANS    TO     THOMAS 
AND    RICHARD    PENN 


Q  c 

3  g  I 

*  £  I 

w  S  S 


02  J    "c 

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K  'tn 


HOUSE  BUILDING  AND   HOME   MAKING 

In  treaties,  about  land  or  traffick,  I  find  them  deliberate 
in  council,  and  as  designing,  as  I  have  ever  observed 
among  the  politest  of  our  Europeans.  I  have  bought 
two  large  tracts,  and  had  two  presented  to  me,  which 
cost  me  alike.  They  trouble  not  themselves  about  bills 
of  lading,  or  exchange;  nor  are  they  molested  about 
chancery  suits  and  exchequer  accounts.  Their  rest  is 
not  disturbed  for  maintenance;  they  live  by  their 
pleasure,  fowling  and  fishing;  the  sons  of  providence, 
better  without  tradition,  unless  that  they  have  got 
had  been  better;  for  the  Dutch,  English,  and  Swedes 
have  taught  them  drunkenness.  Thus  they  are  the 
worse  for  those  they  should  have  been  the  better  for; 
and  this  they  are  not  so  dark  as  not  to  see,  and  say." 

Gradually  the  colonists  made  themselves  comfort- 
able on  lands  to  which  the  Indians  had  been  persuaded 
to  yield  their  claims,  free  from  the  periodical  alarms 
of  Indian  raids  that  distressed  the  pioneers  in  other 
parts  of  the  country  because  the  original  owners  of  the 
soil  had  not  been  treated  as  Penn  treated  his  dusky 
neighbors.  And  it  was  well  that  they  were  freed  from 
such  anxieties,  for  they  had  enough  of  those  that  were 
inevitable.  A  glimpse  of  the  burdens  that  were  cheer- 
fully borne  for  the  sake  of  a  home  where  some  day 
there  would  be  plenty  was  given  by  Ann  Warder  in 
her  diary.  Once  in  1787  she  recorded  talking  with  a 
friend  "who  related  what  Friends'  situation  was  in 
the  first  settlement  of  their  country;  when  the  men  and 
women  toiled  together  to  clear  the  land,  without  being 
able  to  procure  what  we  esteem  the  common  necessaries 
of  life.  One  day  a  worthy  woman  returning  from  her 
labor  to  provide  something  for  her  own  and  companions' 
dinner,  and  remembering  that  she  had  not  nor  could 
obtain  nothing  but  very  ordinary  bread  sat  down  and 

51 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

wept.  A  favorite  cat  came  to  her  repeatedly  which 
induced  her  to  follow  her  into  the  woods,  where  she 
found  that  the  animal  had  killed  a  fine  fat  rabbit,  on 
which  all  dined/* 

Pictures  of  the  life  in  a  humble  home  where  father 
and  mother  and  children  lived  in  loving  fellowship  are 
to  be  secured  by  the  sympathetic  reading  of  the  brief 
but  eloquent  records  in  the  family  Bible  of  Samuel 
Powell,  the  first,  who  died  in  1756.  The  Bible  was 
printed  in  1683. 

Samuel  Powell's  wife  was  Abigail,  the  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Willcox  of  Philadelphia. 

The  entries  were  as  follows: 

"Samel  Powell  &  Abigail  his  wife  were  married  the 
19th  day  of  the  12th  Month  1700  in  Philadelphia. 

"Anne  Powell  the  Daughter  of  ye  s'd  Samel  & 
Abigail  was  Born  the  10th  day  of  the  2d  Month  1702. 

"Samel  Powell  the  Sonn  of  ye  s'd  Samel  &  Abigail 
was  Born  the  26th  day  of  ye  12th  Month  1704. 

"Deborah  Powell  the  Daughter  of  s'd  Samel  & 
Abigail  Powell  was  born  the  24th  day  of  the  8th  Month 
1706  in  the  house  of  my  Aunt  Ann  Parsons. 

"Anne  Powell  the  Second  of  y*  name  was  born  the 
24th  day  of  ye  8th  Mo  1708. 

"Anne  Powell  the  first  of  y*  name  departed  this 
Life  ye  10th  day  of  ye  10th  Mo  1707. 

"Ann  Parsons  departed  this  Life  ye  24th  ye  6  Mo 
1712. 

"Sarah  Powell  ye  Daughter  of  Samuel  &  Abigail 
Powell  was  born  ye  29  of  ye  4th  M°  1713. 

"My  Dear  Wife  Abigail  Powell  Departed  this  Life 
y«  4th  day  of  ye  7th  M°  1713. 

"Ann  Powell  ye  Second  of  ye  Name  Departed  this 
Life  ye  26th  day  of  ye  8th  M°  1714." 
52 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME    MAKING 

The  fashion  of  the  houses  built  by  such  settlers  as 
those  whose  humble  annals  were  set  down  in  this  family 
Bible  was  indicated  by  Robert  Turner  in  his  letter  to 
William  Penn,  which  the  Proprietor  quotes  in  "A 
Further  Account  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania." 
In  this  letter,  which  was  dated  August,  1685,  he  said: 

"Now  as  to  the  Town  of  Philadelphia  it  goeth  on 
in  Planting  and  Building  to  admiration,  both  in  the 
front  &  backward,  and  there  are  about  600  Houses  in 
3  years  time.  And  since  I  built  my  Brick  House,  the 
foundation  of  which  was  laid  at  thy  going,  which  I  did 
design  after  a  good  manner  to  incourage  others,  and 
that  from  building  with  Wood,  it  being  the  first,  many 
take  example,  and  some  that  built  Wooden  Houses, 
are  sorry  for  it:  Brick  Building  is  said  to  be  as  cheap. 
Brick  are  exceeding  good,  and  better  than  when  I 
built  .  .  . 

"I  am  Building  another  Brick  house  by  mine,  which 
is  three  large  Stories  high,  besides  a  large  Brick  cellar 
under  it,  of  two  Bricks  and  a  half  thickness  in  the  wall, 
and  the  next  story  half  under  Ground,  the  cellar  hath 
an  Arched  Door  for  a  Vault  to  go  [under  the  Street] 
to  the  River,  and  so  to  bring  in  goods,  or  deliver  out. 
Humphrey  Murray,  from  New  York,  has  built  a  large 
Timber  house,  with  Brick  Chimnies.  John  Test  has 
also  finished  a  good  Brick  House,  and  a  Bake  House  of 
Timber.  John  Day  a  good  house,  after  the  London 
fashion,  most  Brick,  with  a  large  frame  of  Wood,  in  the 
front,  for  Shop  Windows;  all  these  have  Belconies, 
Lots  are  much  desir'd  in  the  town,  great  buying  one 
of  another." 

A  full  description  of  a  brick  house  of  the  period 
(1690)  is  given  in  the  biography  of  Christopher  White. 
Though  this  house  was  built  in  New  Jersey,  the  de- 
scription would  well  serve  for  some  of  the  early  brick 
houses  of  Philadelphia: 

53 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"The  main  building  was  thirty  feet  by  twenty  feet, 
two  stories  high;  the  stories  were  nine  feet  in  height. 
at  the  east  end  of  the  house  was  a  wing  ten  feet  square 
in  the  form  of  a  tower,  in  that  was  the  stairway  leading 
to  the  second  story  and  garret.  There  were  overshoots 
that  projected  from  the  eaves  of  the  roof  about  four 
feet  in  middle  and  extended  around  the  gable  ends  of 
the  house,  which  at  a  distance  gave  the  appearance  of 
having  a  tower  at  each  corner.  The  cellar  was  only 
three  feet  under  ground.  It  was  paved  with  pressed 
brick  six  inches  square,  made  of  the  finest  clay.  The 
walls  from  the  foundations  up  to  the  windows  of  the 
first  story  were  eighteen  inches  in  thickness;  above  they 
were  thirteen  inches  thick.  Six  stone  steps,  six  feet  in 
length  and  one  foot  in  thickness,  led  up  to  the  main 
entrance  of  the  building.  Two  white-oak  ties  eighteen 
inches  square  supported  the  joist  of  the  floors.  The 
timbers  were  of  white  oak,  the  floor  boards  of  yellow 
pine  clear  of  sap  and  knots,  eighteen  inches  in  width 
and  one  and  one  half  inch  in  thickness.  The  partitions 
and  doors  were  made  of  heart  yellow  pine.  There  were 
two  rooms  on  the  first  floor  and  three  on  the  second 
floor;  the  garret  was  not  plastered.  There  was  one 
chimney  in  the  main  building  near  its  centre,  the  fire- 
place in  the  hall  or  parlor  was  eight  feet  in  length,  the 
breast-plate  of  chimney  being  of  heart  yellow  pine  and 
full  of  carvings.  There  were  five  windows  in  the  front 
of  the  house  two  in  the  lower  story  and  three  in  the 
upper;  also  two  windows  in  the  gable  ends  of  each 
story.  The  kitchen  part  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the 
main  building.  It  was  of  brick,  one  story  high;  its 
ceiling  was  ten  feet  in  height.  The  yard  around  the 
house  was  paved  with  sqaure  bricks  similar  to  those 
in  the  cellar  floor." 

In  the  first  chapter  of  this  volume  the  story  is  told 
of  William  Hudson,  the  emigrant  who  came  to  Phila- 
delphia   bearing   his   father's   permission    to   marry. 
54 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

Probably  at  once  after  his  marriage,  in  1688,  he  erected 
the  house  to  which  he  led  his  wife  and  in  which  he 
spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  Thomas  Allen  Glenn  has 
described  the  house  in  the  following  clear  fashion : 

"It  stood  on  a  large  lot  of  ground  facing  the  south- 
east corner  of  Third  and  Chestnut  streets.  It  was  built 
of  red  and  black  glazed  brick,  and  was  three  stories 
high,  having  a  sloping  roof.  A  brick  portico  extended 
from  the  front  entrance  .  .  .  The  house  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  paved  courtyard,  shut  in  from  the  street 
by  a  high  wall,  there  being  a  coachway  on  Third  street 
and  another  entrance  gate  on  Chestnut  street.  The 
place  was  shaded  by  several  old  trees,  and  a  charming 
view  of  the  Delaware  could  be  obtained  from  the  garden 
sloping  away  on  the  southeast  towards  Dock  Creek. 
The  stable  and  servants  quarters  were  built  in  the  rear 
of  the  courtyard.  This  typical  colonial  dwelling  con- 
tained on  the  first  floor  the  hall  room,  'dining  room, 
Great  Kitchen,  and  Outer  Kitchen.'  On  the  second 
floor  the  'great  chamber'  and  two  other  large  rooms, 
besides  smaller  ones.  The  third  floor  is  described 
simply  as  'the  Garrett,'  and  probably  consisted  of  but 
one  apartment. 

"The  furniture  was  in  keeping  with  the  best  style 
of  the  time;  black  walnut  was  the  principal  wood  used, 
with  an  occasional  oak  or  mahogany  piece.  There 
were  two  tall  clocks,  one  in  the  hall  room  and  one  in 
the  dining  room.  One  of  these  old  timepieces,  said  to 
have  been  purchased  by  Hudson's  father  at  a  sale  in 
London  ...  is  now  in  the  Philadelphia  Library." 

In  many  of  these  houses  the  old  half -door  was  a 
cherished  institution.  The  beauty  and  convenience 
of  such  a  door  can  be  appreciated  by  one  who  reads 
Townsend  Ward's  description:  "Quaint  it  was,  but 
how  appropriate  for  a  single  minded,  hearty  people 

55 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

among  whom  no  depredation  was  ever  known,  until 
there  came  upon  them  the  evil  days  of  single  doors 
and  locks  and  bolts.  .  .  While  the  lower  hah* 
of  the  door  was  closed  no  quadruped  could  enter  the 
dwelling  house,  but  the  refreshing  air  of  heaven  could, 
while  the  rest  it  afforded  a  leisure  loving  people  was 
most  agreeable."  How  many  pleasant  hours  were 
spent  by  the  householders  at  such  half  opened  doors, 
talking  with  a  neighbor,  or  with  a  passer-by ! 

Perhaps  it  was  because  so  little  was  feared  from 
thieves  that  the  first  settlers  were  careless  about 
securing  their  property.  Sometimes  this  confidence 
was  not  justified,  as  in  the  case  of  one  who,  in  1686, 
complained  to  the  Court  that  a  man  had  climbed  to 
his  roof,  displaced  a  loose  board,  and  dropped  to  the 
garret  bedroom  where  three  members  of  the  family 
were  sleeping  in  one  bed. 

In  the  pioneer  homes  there  was  frequently  neces- 
sity for  such  crowding.  Probably  many  early  Phila- 
delphians  could  duplicate  the  description  of  the  make- 
shifts humorously  described  by  a  later  pioneer 
hundreds  of  miles  away: 

"It  remained  to  sub-divide  two  hundred  and  eighty 
nine  square  feet  of  internal  cabin  into  all  the  apartments 
of  a  commodious  mansion  .  .  .  And  first,  the  punch- 
eoned  area  was  separated  into  two  grand  parts,  by  an 
honest  Scotch  carpet  hung  over  a  stout  pole  that  ran 
across  with  ends  rested  on  the  opposite  wall  plates; 
the  woollen  portion  having  two-thirds  of  the  space  on 
one  side  and  the  remaining  third  on  the  other. 

"Secondly,  the  larger  space  was  then  itself  sub- 
divided by  other  carpets  .  .  .  into  chambers,  each 
containing  one  bed  and  twelve  nominal  inches  to  fix 
56 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

and  unfix  in;  while  trunks,  boxes  and  the  like  plunder 
were  stationed  under  the  bed.  Articles  intended  by 
nature  to  be  hung,  frocks,  hats,  coats,  &c,  were  pendent 
from  hooks  and  pegs  of  wood  inserted  into  the  wall. 
To  move  or  turn  around  in  such  a  chamber  without 
mischief  done  or  got  was  difficult;  and  yet  we  came  at 
last  to  the  skill  of  a  conjuror  that  can  dance  blindfolded 
among  eggs — we  could  in  the  day  without  light  and 
at  night  in  double  darkness,  get  along  and  without 
displacing,  knocking  down,  kicking  over,  or  tearing! 

"The  chambers  were,  one  for  Uncle  John  and  his 
nephew;  one  for  the  widow  ladies  and  Miss  Emily, 
who,  being  the  pet,  nestled  at  night  in  a  trundle  bed, 
partly  under  the  large  one;  and  one  very  small  room  for 
the  help,  which  was  separated  from  the  Mistress' 
chamber  by  pendulous  petticoats.  Our  apprentices 
slept  in  an  out-house.  These  chambers  were  all  south 
of  the  grand  hall  of  eighteen  inches  wide  between  the 
suites;  on  the  north,  being  first  our  room  and  next  it 
the  strangers' — a  room  into  which  at  a  pinch  were 
several  times  packed  three  guests.  Beyond  the  hos- 
pitality chamber  was  the  toilette  room,  fitted  with 
glasses,  combs,  hair  brushes,  &c.,  and  after  our  arrival, 
furnished  with  the  first  glass  window  in  that  part  .  .  . 
The  window  was  of  domestic  manufacture,  being  one 
fixed  sash  containing  four  panes,  each  eight  by  ten's, 
by  whose  light  in  warm  weather  we  could  not  only  fix 
but  also  read  in  retirement." 

Gradually  larger  houses  took  their  place  by  the 
side  of  more  humble  neighbors.  In  these  were  single 
rooms,  many  of  them  as  large  as  the  one  entire  house 
of  the  first  settlers.  And  what  striking  improvements 
the  builders  of  the  larger  houses  insisted  on  introducing! 
Large  paned  windows  were  long  considered  a  wonderful 
luxury,  and  many  builders  awed  the  observers  by  the 

57 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

use  of  these  daylight  savers.     Governor  John  Penn's 
use  of  such  windows  led  his  sister-in-law  to  write: 

"Happy  the  man,  in  such  a  treasure, 
Whose  greatest  panes  afford  him  pleasure." 

The  number  of  houses  erected,  both  large  and  small, 
was  so  great  that  in  1712  Rev.  Abel  Morgan  wrote 
to  his  former  congregation  at  Blaenegwent,  Wales: 

"I  am  surprised  to  see  the  extent  of  the  city  in  so 
short  a  time.  It  is  about  a  mile  long  and  of  medium 
width  with  wide  streets  and  high  and  beautiful  build- 
ings. The  inhabitants  are  numerous;  ships  ladened  lie 
at  the  side  of  the  town.  There  is  a  Court  here,  and  the 
wagons  continually  are  going  with  flour  and  wheat  to 
the  ships.  The  Country  is  exceedingly  level  as  far  as 
I  have  seen  for  about  sixty  miles;  mostly  good  ground 
without  much  stone,  so  that  a  man  may  ride  a  hundred 
miles  without  a  shoe  under  his  horse.  There  is  an 
orchard  by  every  house  of  various  fruits,  very  pro- 
ductive, they  say." 

Twenty-nine  years  after  Mr.  Morgan  wrote  this 
wondering  letter,  Count  Zinzendorf  visited  the  city. 
During  a  part  of  his  residence  he  lived  in  a  house  on 
the  east  side  of  Second  street,  a  few  doors  north  of 
Race  street.  This  house  was  "built  of  brick,  alternate 
red-  and  black-headers,  three  stories  high,  with  pitch 
roof  and  dormer  windows,  with  ten  rooms,  and  kitchen 
and  laundry  detached  in  the  rear.  Glass  'bulls-eyes' 
in  the  front  door  and  half  moons  in  the  window  shutters 
afforded  light  to  entry  and  rooms." 

During  the  same  year  Colonel  James  Coultas 
built  for  his  family  a  stone  house  that  is  still  one  of 
the  marvels  of  West  Philadelphia,  on  a  lane  leading 
from  the  road  to  Darby  to  the  road  to  West  Chester. 

58 


WILLIAM  PENN'S  SILVER  TEA  SERVICE 


HOUSE  BUILDING  AND   HOME   MAKING 

To  this  he  added  a  wing  in  1754.  The  mansion,  which 
became  known  as  Whitby  Hall,  appears  to-day  much 
as  it  did  when  first  built,  for  the  alterations  made 
in  1754  and  1819  were  so  harmoniously  contrived  that 
it  is  difficult  to  tell  the  old  part  from  the  new. 

The  women  who  were  at  the  head  of  old  Philadel- 
phia homes  were  usually  good  housewives,  whether 
they  presided  over  a  little  brick  tenement  like  that  in 
Mulberry  street  which  Ann  Newall  entered  in  1745, 
and  for  which  she  paid  four  pounds  per  year,  or  over 
such  a  house  as  that  Ann  Warder  described  in  1788 
as  "exceedingly  convenient,  though  larger  than  I 
wished,  it  having  four  rooms  on  a  floor — Kitchen, 
counting  house  and  two  parlors  on  the  first  floor, 
eight  bedrooms  and  two  garrets.  Many  handy  closets. 
A  small  yard  and  beyond  it  another  with  grass  plot, 
good  stable  and  chaise  house." 

For  in  that  day  more  attention  was  paid  to  educat- 
ing a  girl  in  housework  and  home-making  than  in  the 
studies  of  the  schools.  It  was  considered  of  greater 
value  that  she  should  know  how  to  spin,  knit,  sew  and 
cook  than  that  she  should  be  familiar  with  literature 
or  be  able  to  scan  a  line  of  Latin  verse.  The  average 
mother  took  great  pride  in  having  her  floors  spotless, 
in  making  the  clothing  for  her  children  as  well  as  for  her 
husband,  and  in  collecting  china,  brass,  pewter,  or 
possibly  silver  for  her  pantry  shelves. 

In  many  homes  silver  was  unknown.  Even  some  of 
the  wealthier  colonists  had  only  a  few  pieces,  though 
what  they  had  was  apt  to  be  handsome.  An  interesting 
glimpse  of  the  silver  in  the  home  of  Thomas  Penn  is 
afforded  by  a  study  of  the  inventory  of  the  pieces  he 

planned  to  send  to  England  hi  1763.    These  were: 

59 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"1  pair  of  low  candlesticks  for  a  writing  table,  1 
pair  of  small  do,  2  old  Square  salts  with  my  Crest,  a 
silver  pig  tail  box,  a  silver  beaker,  a  small  nutmeg 
grater,  a  silver  peak  for  a  saddle,  1  large  Sauce  pan, 

1  small  do,  1  Gilt  Challice,  4  Table  Spoons  with  my 
Crest,  2  large  do,  marked  T.  P.,  1  Teapot,  1  silver  plate." 

But  while  not  so  much  silver  was  found  on  the 
pantry  shelves,  the  metal  was  used  for  many  other 
purposes.  On  the  day  book  of  a  silversmith  between 
1745  and  1748  appeared  charges  for  silverware  that 
included  such  items  as  "14  silver  buttons,  1  pair 
shoe  buckels,  garter  buckels,  knee  buckels,  a  ring  to 
be  made  with  the  posey, 

'I  pray  love  well  and  ever 
Not  the  gift,  but  the  giver,' 

double  jointed  tea-tongs,  silver  seal,  topping  thimble, 
shovels  for  salts,  spur,  hoop  and  chain,  locket  and  bells." 

The  ordinary  kitchen  was  apt  to  contain  some  such 
modest  supply  of  furnishings  as  that  sold  in  1760  to 
Thomas  Potts,  owner  of  the  house  in  which  Washington 
later  made  his  headquarters  at  Valley  Forge: 

"A  large  copper  sauce  pann,  15  shillings;  a  small  do, 
8  shillings;  a  pair  Brass  Candlesticks,  15  shillings;  a 
pair  Rose  Blanketts,  46  shillings;  6  china  bowls,  23 
shillings  6  pence;  a  pr.  of  Snuffers,  2  shillings  6  pence; 
a  Brush,  2  shillings  9  pence;  a  pr.  Iron  Candlesticks, 

2  shillings;  2  China  bowles,  5  shillings;  3  Saucers,  2 
shillings  3  pence;  a  Looking  Glass,  54  shillings;  a  dozen 
Knives  and  Forks,  7  shillings;  6  yards  of  Draper,  11 
shillings;  a  Blankett,   14  shillings;   6  pewter  Dishes, 
52  shillings;  a  dozen  Plates,  32  shillings;  6  hardmettle 
porringers,  15  shillings;  a  dozen  spoons,  6  shillings;  a 
trunck,  18  shillings;  a  Cotton  Counterpane,  57  shillings; 
^2  dozen  Chairs,  40  shillings;  3  galls,  of  Spirit,  22  shil- 
lings; 3  silver  spoons,  66  shillings  10  pence;  a  Bedsted 
40  shillings;  Fire  shovel  and  Tongs,  10  shillings." 

60 


HOUSE   BUILDING  AND  HOME   MAKING 

In  1771,  at  a  Philadelphia  home,  there  was  a  vendue 
of  household  furnishings  when  bidders  carried  away: 

"1  Wine  cask,  1  Tub  and  Old  Barrel,  Wheel  Firkin 
and  Chair;  Rake  &  pitch  Fork;  Real  and  Winding 
Blades;  Neck  Yok  &  Strap;  Hay  Knife  and  Weeding 
Hoe;  Saw  and  Horse,  Side  Saddle  &  2  Trusels,  Rabbit 
Box;  Bed  Cornish  &c;  Parcel  Wooden  Ware  &  %  Mouse 
Traps;  1  Horse  Brush,  2  Brass  Candlesticks,  2  Iron 
Spits,  pair  Tobacco  Tongs,  High  Walnut  Corner  Cup- 
board, Large  Copper  Fish  Kettle,  half  dozen  Walnut 
Chairs  with  Damisk  Bottoms,  a  Bald  Faced  Bay  Horse, 
Black  Cow  with  White  Belly,  Shagreen  case  with 
Knives  &  Forks;  Eight-Day  Clock;  pair  of  Hand 
Bellows  Brass  Nozel;  10  Hard  Mettle  Plates;  Mahogeny 
Server;  2  pair  Snuffers  &  Callander  &  Toaster;  Old 
Tin  Lanthorne;  1  pair  of  double  flint  Beer  Glasses; 
1  Doz.  Large  &  J/£  Doz.  small  Patterpans;  a  Draw  & 
Parcel  Galley  Pots;  a  Large  Lignum  Whity  Morter  and 
pestel;  Warm8  Pan  with  Copper  Bottom;  Jack  &  Gears; 
Old  Fashion  High  Case  Draws;  Curled  Maple  Case  of 
High  Draws;  1  pr  old  Blankets,  1  pr  Homespun  Ditto; 

1  Dieper  Table  Cloth;  1  Ditto  Homespun;  16  Bottles 
of  Beer;  3  Gall  Kag  of  Grape  Wine;  5  Gall  Ditto  of 
White  Currant  Wine;  10  Gall  Kag  of  Prick't  Wine; 

2  Brass  Sconsances;  1  pr  Saddle  Bags;  1  pr  Fire  Buckets, 
tin  Jack  or  Mug;  1  Hard  Mettle  pot;  1  Lead  Tobacco 
Box;  2  N.  England  Leather  Bottom  Chairs;  1  pr  Gold 
Seals  &  Weights." 

When — about  the  year  1786 — a  housewife  went  to 
the  manufacturer  of,  furniture  she  was  asked  to  pay 
prices  like  the  following  for  fine  pieces: 

Desk,  Winged. 10.0.0 

Desk,  with  scalloped  drawer  below  and  shell 

drawer  above 13.10.0 

Book  case  with  scroll  pediment 12.0.0 

High  Chest  of  Drawers  on  a  frame,  head  and 

corners,  plain  feet 13.0.0 

61 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

£.  s.  d. 

A  Table  to  suit 4.10.0 

Low  Chest  of  Drawers,  with  three  long  and 

five  small 4.10.0 

Chair  with  plain  Crooked  feet  &  bannister 

leather  seat 1.14.0 

Arm  Chair  to  suit 2.18.0 

Corner  chair  plain  feet  and  bannister 2.10.0 

Sofa,  fret  on  feet  and  rails,  carved  mouldings.  10.10.0 
Dining  Table,  plain  feet  crooked  or  Marl- 
borough 3.5.0 

Table  5  ft  6  inches,  with  6  legs 8.0.0 

Breakfast  table,  plain 2.15.0 

Side  Board  Table,  6  feet,  by  2  feet  6  in 5.0.0 

Writing  Table,  with  one  top  to  raise  on  the 

side  only,  front  to  draw  out 7.0.0 

Dumb  Waiter,  4  tops,  plain  feet 5.0.0 

Clock  Case,  Square  head  and  Corners 6.0.0 

Bedstead,  Mahogany  Field  Bed  with  canopy, 

rails 6.0.0 

When  the  housewife  succeeded  in  storing  in  her  house 
a  lot  of  such  furniture  she  was  eager  to  give  a  grand 
dinner.  The  expenses  for  such  a  meal,  in  1761,  may  be 
seen  from  a  bill  from  John  Lawrence  to  Mary  Biddle: 

£.  s.  d. 
To  1  Piece  of  Beef  7/,  Gamon,  6/6,  Calves 

head  2/6 0.16.0 

To  Veal  2/11,  fish  7/,  Ducks  5/,  Lamb  4/ . . . .     0.18.11 
To  Chickens   12/,  Tongues  3/,  Cabage  2/, 

Turnips  I/ 0.18.0 

To  Tarts  6/,  Jellys  8/,  Custard  3/,  Whips  4/.     1.01.0 
To   Cucumbers   4/,   Potatos   9d,   Peas   3/6, 

Butter  9/ 0.17.6 

To  Strawberys  2/6,  Cherries  2/,  Pudings  12/, 

Bread  1/4 0.17.10 

Dressing 2.10.0 

4  Bottles  of  wine  at  4/6 18 

3  bottles  Claret,  15  /,  Bristol  Beer  8/,  Punch  12/     1.15 

62 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

But  where  there  was  given  one  such  court  dinner 
there  were  hundreds  of  quiet  home  meals  like  that  of 
which  Ann  Warder  told  in  1786: 

"Dined  with  Anne  Giles,  daughter  to  Friend  Clifford, 
her  father  and  Mother,  with  Tommy,  John  and  wife, 
and  brother  and  sister  Warder.  First  rock  fish,  next 
Mock  turtle,  ducks,  ham  and  boiled  turkey,  with  plenty 
of  vegetables,  and  after  these  were  removed,  we  had 
floating  island,  several  kinds  of  pie  with  oranges  and 
preserves.  When  we  were  well  satisfied,  left  the  men 
to  their  pipes  and  went  upstairs  to  our  chat." 

*  Two  days  later  the  diarist  wrote: 

"Most  of  the  family  busy  preparing  for  a  great 
dinner,  two  green  turtles  having  been  sent  .  .  .  We 
concluded  to  dress  them  together  here  and  invite  the 
whole  family  in  ...  We  had  a  black  woman  to  cook 
and  an  elegant  entertainment  it  was — having  three 
tureens  of  soup,  the  two  shells  baked  besides  several 
dishes  of  stew,  with  boned  turkey,  roast  ducks,  veal 
and  beef.  After  these  were  served  the  table  was  filled 
with  two  kinds  of  jellies  and  various  kinds  of  puddings, 
pie  and  preserves;  and  then  almonds,  raisins,  nuts, 
apples  and  oranges.  Twenty  four  sat  down  at  the  table. 
I  admired  the  activity  of  the  lusty  cook,  who  prepared 
everything  herself,  and  charged  for  a  day  and  a  half 
but  three  dollars." 

In  the  same  hospitable  home  the  bill  of  fare  for  a 
much  simpler  meal  included  roast  turkey,  mashed 
potatoes,  whip'd  sally  bubs,  oyster  pie,  boiled  leg  of 
pork,  bread  pudding  and  tarts.  Then  followed  "an 
early  dish  of  tea  for  the  old  folks." 

In  the  days  of  Ann  Warder,  as  to-day,  there  was  a 
part  of  home-making  that  men  did  not  like  as  much 
as  they  enjoyed  these  appetizing  meals,  though  it 

63 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

was  just  as  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  the  well-ordered 
home — house  cleaning.  The  very  year  that  Ann  Warder 
wrote  her  charming  diary  a  mere  man  wrote  an  article 
for  The  American  Museum  in  which  he  told  facetiously 
of  the  tearing  up  of  the  house  that  comes  inevitably  in 
the  spring: 

"When  a  young  couple  are  about  to  enter  on  the 
matrimonial  state,  a  never-failing  article  in  the  marriage 
treaty  is  that  the  young  lady  shall  have  and  enjoy  the 
free  and  unmolested  exercise  of  the  right  of  white- 
washing ...  A  young  woman  would  forego  the  most 
advantageous  connexion,  and  even  disappoint  the 
warmest  wish  of  her  heart,  rather  than  forego  this 
invaluable  right." 

The  magazine  writer  then  spoke  of  the  possibility 
of  covering  the  walls  of  the  house  with  paper,  in  order 
to  make  unnecessary  much  of  the  spring  housecleaning 
and  whitewashing.  He  said  that  though  this  "cannot 
abolish,  it  at  least  shortens  the  period  of  female  domin- 
ion." He  explained  that  "the  paper  is  decorated  with 
flowers  of  various  fancies  and  made  so  ornamental, 
that  the  woman  has  admitted  the  fashion,  without 
perceiving  the  design." 

The  man  who  professed  to  believe  that  wall  paper 
was  invented  to  circumvent  the  housewife,  then  went 
on  to  tell  of  a  second  evidence  of  the  cleanliness  of 
the  Philadelphia  homemakers: 

"There  is  also  another  cherished  custom  peculiar  to 
the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  nearly  allied  to  the  former. 
I  mean  that  of  washing  the  pavement  before  the  door- 
way every  Saturday  evening.  I  at  first  took  this  to 
be  a  regulation  of  the  police,  but,  on  further  enquiry, 
find  it  to  be  a  religious  rite  preparatory  to  the  Sabbath, 
64 


THE    OLD    SIDEBOARD 


A    CORNER    OF    AN    OLD    DINING-ROOM 


DRAFT    OF    UPPER    FERRY,     SCHUYI.KILL    RIVER,     PHILADELPHIA 

(Original  in  the  possession  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania) 


HOUSE   BUILDING   AND   HOME   MAKING 

and  is,  I  believe,  the  only  religious  rite  in  which  the 
numerous  sectarians  of  the  city  profoundly  agree. 

"The  ceremony  begins  about  sunset,  and  continues 
till  about  ten  or  eleven  at  night.  It  is  very  difficult  for 
a  stranger  to  walk  the  streets  on  these  evenings.  He 
runs  a  continual  risk  of  having  a  bucket  of  water  thrown 
against  his  legs,  but  a  Philadelphian  born  is  so  accus- 
tomed to  the  danger  that  he  avoids  it  with  surprising 
dexterity.  It  is  from  this  circumstance  that  a  Phila- 
delphian is  known  anywhere  by  his  gait." 

But  whether  this  is  told  in  jest  or  in  earnest,  the 
fact  remains  that  Philadelphia  houses  have  ever  been 
noted  for  cleanliness,  and  the  typical  homemaker  has 
always  been  a  model  of  efficiency. 


Ill 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  CITY  GOVERNMENT 

WILLIAM  PENN  FAB  IN  ADVANCE  OF  His  AGE — WHY  THE  TREES  OFFENDED 
— A  BRUTAL  SHIP  CAPTAIN — PENNSYLVANIA'S  ONLY  WITCHCRAFT 
PROSECUTION — HUMPHREY  MORREY,  FIRST  MAYOR,  AND  THE  BLUE 
ANCHOR  WHARF — "To  PRISON  HE  MUST  Go" — SHEEP  RAISING  IN 
THE  PUBLIC  SQUARE — STUFFING  THE  BALLOT  Box  IN  1705 — "BLACK- 
BEARD'S"  CHARMED  LIFE — FORBIDDEN  AMUSEMENTS — THE  ELECTION 
RIOT  OF  1742 — AN  UNWILLING  MAYOR-ELECT. 

WHEN  William  Penn  planned  his  colony  on  the 
Delaware  he  had  the  amazing  notion  that  he 
wanted  his  people  to  be  governed  in  such  a 
way  that  they  would  be  happy.  He  had  had  enough 
of  rulers  who  cared  nothing  for  the  people  except  as 
they  ministered  to  the  satisfaction  and  comfort  of 
those  in  authority.  It  was  his  purpose,  on  the  con- 
trary, to  do  righteously,  to  show  mercy,  and  to  make 
it  evident  in  all  things  that  government's  sole  excuse 
for  existence  was  to  add  to  the  sum  of  human  happiness. 

His  own  bitter  experience  of  persecution  and  im- 
prisonment because  of  his  religious  convictions  con- 
vinced him  that  it  was  time  to  make  a  fight  for  civil 
liberty,  and  that  it  was  his  duty  to  take  a  leading  part 
in  the  contest. 

In  1679,  when  Charles  I  called  for  the  election  of 
a  new  Parliament,  Penn  prepared  and  circulated  a 
pamphlet  which  he  called  "England's  Great  Interest 
in  the  Choice  of  this  Parliament."  In  this  were  many 
declarations  that  sound  like  a  prophecy  of  the  Decla- 
ration of  Independence,  issued  nearly  a  century  later 
66 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

from  the  city  for  whose  founding  he  had  not  then  made 
any  preparation.  He  spoke  of  three  rights  of  the  indi- 
vidual that  could  not  be  altered  or  abrogated: 

"The  first  of  these  fundamentals  is  right  and  title 
to  your  house,  liberties  and  estates.  In  this  every  man 
is  a  sort  of  little  sovereign  in  himself  .  .  .  Only  your 
own  transgression  of  the  laws  (and  those  of  your  own 
making  too)  lays  you  open  to  loss,  which  is  but  the 
punishment  due  to  offences,  and  should  be  in  proportion 
to  the  fault  committed. 

"The  second  fundamental  that  is  your  birthright, 
is  legislation.  No  law  can  be  made  or  abrogated 
without  you. 

"Your  third  great  right  and  privilege  is  executive; 
that  is,  your  share  in  the  application  of  those  laws  that 
you  agree  to  be  made." 

Though  this  apostle  of  human  liberty  and  of  reform 
in  government  had  been  interested  for  many  years  in 
the  colonization  of  New  Jersey,  he  had  not  had  a  full 
opportunity  to  put  into  practice  these  principles.  But 
when,  in  1680,  he  asked  Charles  I  to  give  to  him  a 
tract  on  the  Delaware,  in  payment  of  a  claim  for  sixteen 
thousand  pounds,  the  sum  advanced  to  the  crown  by 
Penn's  father,  he  dreamed  of  inviting  to  these  lands 
men  and  women  to  whom  would  be  presented  the  op- 
portunity of  tasting  the  delights  of  real  liberty.  He  had 
in  mind  not  only  those  of  the  Society  of  Friends  who 
had  shared  persecution  with  him,  but  also  "the  good 
and  oppressed  of  every  nation."  For  them  he  wanted 
"to  found  an  empire  where  the  pure  and  peaceable  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity  might  be  carried  out  in  practice." 

His  object  was  absolutely  unselfish.  It  was  not 
even  his  wish  that  his  name  should  be  connected  with 

67 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

the  colony.  At  first  he  proposed  that  the  name  should 
be  New  Wales.  When  this  was  rejected  by  those  in 
authority,  he  proposed  Sylvania.  But,  as  he  wrote  to 
his  friend,  Robert  Turner,  "They  added  Penn  to  it; 
and  though  I  much  opposed  it,  and  went  to  the  King 
to  have  it  struck  out  and  altered,  he  said  it  was  past, 
and  would  take  it  upon  him;  nor  could  twenty  guineas 
move  the  under  secretary  to  vary  the  name;  for  I  feared 
lest  it  should  be  looked  on  as  a  vanity  in  me,  and  not 
a  respect  in  the  King,  as  it  truly  was,  to  my  father." 
A  few  weeks  after^the  granting  of  the  charter  for 
Pennsylvania,  Penn  wrote  to  those  who  were  already 
living  within  the  bounds  of  the  new  colony: 

"I  wish  you  all  happiness  .  .  .  You  are  now  fixed 
at  the  mercy  of  no  governor  that  comes  to  make  his 
fortune  great;  you  shall  be  governed  by  laws  of  your 
own  making,  and  live  as  free,  and,  if  you  will,  as  sober 
and  industrious  people.  I  shall  not  usurp  the  right  of 
any,  or  oppress  his  person  ...  In  short,  whatever 
sober  and  free  men  can  reasonably  desire,  for  the 
security  and  improvement  of  their  own  happiness,  I 
shall  heartily  comply  with  ..." 

His  purpose  was  even  more  clearly  set  forth  in  a 
letter  written  in  1681,  in  which  he  said: 

"As  my  understanding  and  inclination  have  been 
much  directed  to  observe  and  reprove  mischiefs  in 
government,  so  it  is  now  put  into  my  power  to  settle 
one.  For  the  matters  of  liberty  and  privilege,  I  propose 
that  which  is  extraordinary,  and  to  leave  myself  and 
successors  no  power  of  doing  mischief,  that  the  will  of  one 
man  may  not  hinder  the  good  of  an  whole  country." 

Penn's  remarkable  frame  of  government,  which 
was  dated  April  25,  1682,  was  so  far  in  advance  of  the 

68 


BEGINNINGS  OF  CITY  GOVERNMENT 

age  that,  as  Bancroft  says,  "its  essential  principles 
remain  to  this  day  without  change,"  while  another 
competent  critic  has  said  that  in  it  was  "the  germ,  if 
not  the  development  of  every  valuable  improvement 
in  government  or  legislation,  which  has  been  introduced 
into  the  political  systems  of  more  modern  epochs." 

The  government  was  to  consist  of  the  governor,  a 
Provincial  Council,  and  a  General  Assembly.  These 
bodies,  which  were  to  make  laws,  create  courts,  choose 
officers,  and  transact  public  affairs,  were  to  be  elected 
by  the  freemen,  by  ballot.  By  freemen  were  meant 
not  only  landholders,  but  "every  inhabitant,  artificer, 
or  other  resident,  that  pays  scot  or  lot  to  the 
government." 

Regulations  as  to  taxes,  trials,  prisons,  and  marriage 
were  clearly  set  forth  in  a  code  of  laws  enacted  in 
England  on  May  6,  1682.  It  was  also  arranged  that 
every  child  of  twelve  should  be  taught  some  useful 
trade.  Members  of  the  council  and  assembly,  as  well 
as  judges,  were  to  be  professing  Christians.  Everyone 
was  to  be  allowed  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  his  own  conscience,  and  this  not  as  a  mere  mat- 
ter of  toleration,  but  because  it  was  an  inherent  right. 

The  penalty  of  death  was  to  be  inflicted  sparingly; 
some  two  hundred  offenses  which  were  named  as  capital 
by  English  law  were  to  be  punished  in  a  lighter  manner. 
Provision  was  made  for  the  freeing  of  "black  servants" 
at  the  end  of  fourteen  years. 

In  the  attempt  to  give  a  human  touch  to  the  govern- 
ment of  Philadelphia  and  Pennsylvania,  Perm  may  have 
made  mistakes,  but  he  succeeded  in  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  many  of  the  institutions  that  have  helped  to 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

bring  to  the  people  the  happiness  he  sought  for  them. 
One  of  his  biographers  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
for  the  greatest  mistake  of  all,  the  attempt  to  combine 
in  himself  feudal  sovereignty  and  democratic  leader- 
ship, he  was  not  responsible.  Yet  somehow  he  managed 
to  make  this  seem  a  possible  combination,  so  long  as 
he  remained  in  power.  Janney  says  that  his  success 
was  due  to  his  "sweetness  of  temper  and  weight  of 
character."  During  his  absence  however,  and  in  the 
days  of  his  successors,  there  was  clashing,  dissension, 
and  tumult. 

If  Penn  could  have  kept  his  hand  on  the  government 
for  a  generation,  there  would  have  been  a  wonderful 
difference  in  the  results  attained,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  had  a  most  heterogeneous  crowd  to  deal  with, 
who  were  much  more  ready  to  yield  to  the  spirit  of  the 
age  than  to  be  influenced  by  a  leader's  beneficent  vision. 

A  few  kaleidoscopic  glimpses  of  some  of  the  crude 
first  attempts  at  government,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
incidents  of  a  later  day,  are  illuminating. 

There  is  little  record  of  Philadelphia's  form  of 
government  from  1682  to  1691,  but  it  is  known  that 
the  Proprietors'  Provincial  Court  exercised  all  sorts 
of  powers  over  the  lives  and  property  of  the  citizens. 

Then  there  are  curious  records  of  the  Grand  Jury, 
which  seems  to  have  had  jurisdiction  over  matters 
civil  as  well  as  criminal,  small  as  well  as  large.  Witness 
these  Presentments  of  the  Grand  Jury  to  the  First 
Court  in  1683: 

"Wee  the  Grand  Jurie  &c  Present 
"That  the  Swamp  coming  into  the  Blue  anchor  be 
forthwith  made  passible  for  footmen. 
70 


ii am:  OMBBBBBB 

in^fHR^aafiHBBHBi 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

"That  Coquenakar  Creek  att  ye  Northend  of  the 
City  of  Philadelphia  be  made  also  forthwith  passable 
for  footmen. 

"That  the  Creek  att  Tankanney  &  Cunner  Rambos 
be  bridged  or  Cannowed. 

"I  Nicholas  More  present  to  the  grand  Inquest  all 
the  trees  that  are  amongs  the  houses  in  the  City  that 
do  Imperforat  the  prospect  of  the  houses. 

"Itam  the  roade  betwixt  the  blew  Anker  and  the 
Society's  Land  which  is  now  for  the  most  part 
Impassable." 

•%To  the  Second  Court  presentment  was  made: 

"That  Stumps  in  the  City  Streets  be  removed. 

"That  men  to  pass  upon  ye  grand  &  petit  Inquests 
are  snapt  up  without  a  previous  Summons,  &  made  to 
pay  for  their  entertainment  to  boot." 

During  the  same  year,  1683,  a  case  was  tried  before 
the  Council  sitting  as  a  Court  of  Admiralty  which  tells 
eloquently  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by  those 
who  took  passage  on  the  emigrant  vessels  of  the  day, 
and  the  extent  of  the  captain's  authority.  Complaint 
was  made  by  March  and  others  against  Kilmer,  Master 
of  the  ship  Levee  of  Liverpool  that  Kilmer  had  "trod 
upon"  one  of  the  complainants,  and  that  when  objec- 
tion was  made  the  Master  beat  him  and  made  his 
mouth  bleed.  The  captain  owned  that  he  had  done  so. 

John  Fox  complained  that  the  Master  bid  him 
clean  the  Deck.  "He  answered  that  it  was  clean  already. 
Whereupon  ye  Master  beat  him."  The  Captain  ad- 
mitted the  truth  of  this  charge  also. 

Again  it  was  charged  that  the  Captain,  noting 
that  a  cask  of  water  was  leaking,  ordered  Nicholas 
Newton  to  "put  a  pegg  into  it,  which  he  did,  but  still 

71 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

it  runn  out,  whereupon  the  Mr.  struck  him  several 
blows."  The  Captain  owned  that  he  had  done  these 
things. 

Yet  the  Governor  and  Council  contented  them- 
selves with  reprimanding  the  Captain,  "and  advised 
him  to  go  with  the  Passengers  and  make  up  the  business 
w*h  accordingly  he  did." 

The  first  case  against  counterfeiters  was  on  the 
docket  of  the  grand  jury  in  1683.  The  testimony 
showed  that  the  defendants  had  indeed  coined  money, 
but  that  to  quote  the  account  by  S.  W.  Pennypacker 
in  "Colonial  Pennsylvania  Cases,"  they  had  merely 
tried  to  supply  the  colony  with  a  medium  of  exchange 
of  an  intrinsic  value  at  least  equal  to  that  of  the  Spanish 
qoin  and  the  New  England  shilling.  But  for  this  "Hey- 
nous  and  Grevious  Crime"  Pickering,  the  coiner, 
was  sentenced  to  make  full  satisfaction  to  all  who 
had  received  money  from  him,  and  to  "pay  a  fine 
of  forty  pounds  into  this  court  towards  ye  building 
of  a  Court  house  in  the  Towne. "  To  Samuel  Buckley, 
who  helped  Pickering,  the  Court  said,  "Considering 
thee  to  have  ben  more  Engenious  than  he  that  went 
before  thee,  hath  thought  fitt  to  fine  thee,  and  doe 
fine  thee  ten  pounds  toward  a  Public  Court  house." 
Robert  ffenton,  the  third  defendant,  because  he 
confessed,  and  because  he  was  acting  as  a  servant, 
was  sentenced  to  "Sitt  an  hour  in  the  Stocks." 

Before  the  days  of  taxation  it  was  a  common  thing 
to  apply  the  fines  to  certain  crying  public  needs,  as 
was  done  in  the  case  of  the  counterfeiters. 

During  the  year  1683  was  recorded  also  Pennsyl- 
vania's sole  witchcraft  prosecution.  On  the  27th  of 

72 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

12th  month  Margaret  Mattson  appeared  before  William 
Penn  and  the  Council  to  answer  to  charges  made  in  a 
true  bill  found  by  the  Grand  Jury.  To  the  charge  she 
pleaded  "Not  guilty." 

Henry  Dry  street  testified:  "He  was  tould  20  years 
ago  that  the  person  at. the  Barr  was  a  Witch  &  that 
Several  Cows  were  bewitcht  by  her.  Also  that  James 
Saunderling's  mother  tould  him  that  she  bewitcht 
her  cow,  but  afterwards  said  that  it  was  a  mistake, 
and  that  her  Cow  would  do  well  againe,  for  it  was  not 
her  Cow  but  another  Person's  that  should  dye." 

After  hearing  two  other  witnesses  whose  testimony 
was  no  more  convincing,  the  Jury  "brought  her  in 
guilty  of  haveing  the  Comon  fame  of  a  witch,  but  not 
guilty  in  manner  and  form  as  She  stands  indicted." 

In  1693  Elinor  Arme  was  ordered  to  "stand  at  the 
whipping  post  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  with  a  paper 
upon  her  breast  reciting  her  wicked  and  notorious  sin." 

.At  that  time  the  whipping  post  was  at  Second 
and  Market  streets.  Here  also  were  the  stocks  and  the 
pillory.  They  remained  until  October  1,  1726,  when 
they  were  burned  by  some  of  those  who  were"  opposed 
to  them.  But  they  were  soon  rebuilt  and  were  in  use 
for  a  long  time  afterward. 

Six  years  before  the  burning  of  the  pillory  it  was 
used  for  the  punishment  of  three  mariners  who  were 
tried  by  Judge  William  Asheton,  of  the  Court  of  the 
Province  of  Pennsylvania,  in  November,  1720,  on  the 
charge  of  mutiny.  It  was  proved  that  the  defendants 
did  "barbarously  misuse,  bind  and  turn  adrift  in  a  small 
Boat,"  the  owner  of  the  schooner  on  which  the  mariners 
had  shipped,  a  relative  of  the  owner,  and  the  mate. 

73 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

The  court  decided  that  "it  would  not  amount  to 
piracy,  yet  it  was  committed  with  much  excess  of 
cruelty,  and  was  a  Fact  of  so  Horrid  and  black  a  nature, 
as  would  justify  the  greatest  severity  which  could  be 
us'd  upon  them.  Therefore  the  sentence  was  that  the 
men  "stand  in  the  Pillory  with  their  Ears  Nail'd  thereto, 
in  the  Market  Place,  for  the  Space  of  two  Hours,  on  the 
Market  Days;  and  afterwards,  on  the  said  days  .  .  . 
whipped  it  on  their  bare  backs,  and  have  Twenty  One 
Lashes  at  Eight  several  Places  of  the  city,"  where  the 
court  should  direct. 

Earlier  candidates  for  punishment  at  the  whipping 
post  were  named  by  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  on 
July  4, 1693.  The  "Constable  of  Philadelphia  or  annie 
other  person  whatsoever,"  was  given  "power  to  take  up 
negroes,  male  or  female,  whom  they  should  find  gadding 
abroad  on  the  first  dayes  of  the  week,  without  a  tickett 
from  their  Mr.  or  Mris.,  or  not  in  their  Company, 
or  to  carry  them  to  gaole,  there  to  remain  that  night, 
&  that  without  meat  or  drink,  &  to  cause  them  to  be 
publickly  whipt  next  morning  with  39  lashes  well  laid 
on,  on  their  bare  back,  for  which  their  said  Mr.  or  Mris. 
should  pay  15d  to  the  whipper  att  his  deliverae  of  ym  to 
their  Mr.  or  Mris." 

A  petition  was  made  to  the  Court  by  Philip  England, 
who  stated  that  he  had  been  authorized  to  keep  an 
"Ordinarie  and  Ferrie  att  Schuilkill"  by  the  Proprietor, 
October  16,  1683,  and  that  it  was  then  ordered  that  he 
should  have  the  sole  right  there  to  transport  passengers 
for  "monie  or  reward."  For  this  right  he  paid  seven 
pounds  a  year.  But  after  he  had  gone  to  great  expense 
William  Powell  had  begun  to  ferry  people  over  the 
74 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

river  near  him.  William  Powell  was  called  before 
Court  for  contempt,  and  soon  after  had  pretended  to 
sell  his  boat  "to  certain  people  who  doe  employ  Nathan- 
iell  Mullinax  to  ferrie  them  over." 

Mullinax,  being  called,  said  that  most  of  the  people 
of  "Harford  &  Marion  &  some  of  Darbie  hired  him  and 
that  he  knew  no  reason  why  he  might  not  work  for  his 
living  as  well  as  others." 

But  the  Court  ordered  that  he  be  committed  to  the 
common  jail  till  he  give  sufficient  security  that  "hee 
shall  ferrie  no  more  persons  horses  or  cattle  over 
Skuilkill  att  Wm.  Powell's  for  gift  or  hyre  or  reward 
directlie  or  indirectlie  and  that  his  boat  be  forthwith 
seized  and  secured  by  the  sheriff." 

Two  somewhat  similar  cases,  one  in  1685,  the  other 
in  1686,  throw  light  on  the  peculiar  custom  of  service 
that  sometimes  was  almost  slavery.  Eleazer  Cossett 
was  petitioner  in  one  of  these  cases.  He  owned  that 
he  was  indentured  servant  of  a  man  named  Scot, 
that  he  was  willing  to  serve  his  master  anywhere  in  the 
province,  but  that  Scot  planned  to  sell  him  out  of  the 
province,  into  foreign  parts  (Virginia),  and  had  even 
taken  him  on  board  ship  for  the  purpose,  though  he 
had  managed  to  escape.  His  appeal  was  that  he  be 
allowed  to  remain  in  the  province,  The  petition  was 
granted. 

Elizabeth  Day's  complaint  was  that  she  had  served 
her  "Mr.,  Griffith  Jones,  4  years  according  to  Inden- 
ture," but  that  he  refused  to  grant  to  her  the  freedom 
she  claimed  was  hers  by  right.  John  Busbie  and  Jere- 
mias  Osborn  thereupon  deposed  "y*  about  the  3d 
instant  4  years  agone  ye  petr  and  ye  deponents  being 

75 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

shipmates  arrived  at  Upland  in  ship  Amity, — Richard 
diamond,  master." 

But  Griffith  Jones  "alidged  y*  she  was  bound  for  5 
years  and  y*  on  shipboard  she  consented  to  it." 

Evidently  the  Court  had  reason  to  doubt  Jones' 
word,  for  it  ordered  the  petitioner  discharged  from  her 
Indenture. 

Probably  Captain  Jones  felt  like  expressing  his 
opinion  of  the  Court,  but  there  was  known  to  be  an 
order  "against  speaking  in  or  Interrupting  the  said 
Court  without  leave  first  asked  and  then  given  by  the 
bench."  That  this  order  was  not  to  be  looked  on  as  a 
dead  letter  was  shown  by  the  Court's  action  when 
Thomas  Howard  was  "for  breach  of  the  rule  fined  by 
the  Court  one  shilling."  But  it  is  stated  that  he  4<sau- 
cilie  answered  Let  the  Court  get  it  how  they  can." 
The  record  does  not  tell  what  happened! 

Not  many  years  after  this  order  was  issued,  Phila- 
delphia was  able  to  boast  a  charter  and  a  regular  form 
of  government.  It  was  long  thought  that  the  city's 
first  charter  was  dated  in  1701,  but  in  1887  Colonel 
Alexander  Biddle  found  among  the  papers  of  his  grand- 
father, Colonel  Clement  Biddle,  a  charter  which  bore 
the  date  1691.  Humphrey  Morrey,  who  was  named 
mayor  in  this  document,  was  therefore  the  first  mayor  of 
the  city.  Morrey  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1683,  and 
at  once  built  for  himself  the  "large  Timber  House, 
with  brick  Chimnies,"  of  which  Robert  Turner  wrote 
to  William  Penn,  as  is  related  in  Chapter  II.  No  one 
has  yet  found  the  papers  which  tell  of  his  service, 
though  fortunately  a  document  filed  more  than  sixty 
years  later  makes  the  following  quotation  from  the 
minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  1691: 
76 


BEGINNINGS  OF  CITY   GOVERNMENT 

"August  3,  1691. 

"Present,  Thomas  Lloyd,  Deputy  Governor  and  six 
Councillors,  Humphrey  Morrey  the  present  Mayor  of 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on  behalf  of  the  said  city, 
moves  the  Governor  and  Council  to  lay  out  and  regu- 
late the  landing-place  near  the  Blue  Anchor  Wharf, 
whereupon  it  was  ordered  that  the  said  Mayor  and  the 
aldermen  of  Philadelphia  have  noticed  to  attend  the 
Governor  and  Council  about  the  8th  hour  in  order  to 
view  the  said  landing." 

It  was  in  consequence  of  the  petition  that  quoted 
this  bit  from  the  records  of  1691  that  the  Blue  Anchor 
Wharf  was  continued  free  for  the  use  of  the  public,  as 
described  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

No  one  knows  how  long  the  original  charter  re- 
mained in  force.  At  the  time  William  Perm  was  absent 
in  England,  and  before  government  under  its  terms 
had  been  in  operation  one  year  Governor  Fletcher 
appeared  in  the  Colony  and  took  Perm's  place.  Though 
he  suggested  that  Morrey  continue  as  mayor,  that 
friend  of  Penn  refused  to  be  continued. 

In  1694  Morrey  was  in  opposition  to  the  authorities, 
for  he  joined  with  Isaac  Norris,  Edward  Shippen  and 
others  in  presenting  to  the  Assembly  a  memorial 
asking  that  the  grievances  of  the  people  be  adjusted 
by  putting  in  office  "men  of  good  repute  and  Christian 
conversation,  without  any  respect  to  any  profession 
or  persuasion  in  religion." 

Yet  less  than  two  years  before  this  Morrey  had 
ranged  himself  on  the  side  of  intolerance  by  taking 
part  with  those  who  caused  the  arrest  of  John  MacComb, 
tavern  keeper,  and  William  Bradford,  the  first  printer 
in  the  colony,  for  daring  to  print  and  circulate  a  paper 

77 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

in  which  an  attack  was  made  on  certain  leaders  and 
teachings  of  the  Quakers.  As  a  result  these  men  were 
condemned  for  "publishing,  uttering  and  spreading 
a  malicious  and  seditious  paper." 

That  Morrey's  heart  must  have  failed  him  in  the 
prosecution  is  indicated  by  a  curious  passage  in  "News 
of  a  Trumpet  Sounding  in  the  Wilderness,"  printed  by 
Bradford  in  1697.  Bitterly  Bradford  spoke  "of  the  fact 
that  MacComb,  his  co-defendant,  when  his  Wife  was 
in  danger  of  Death  by  a  Flux,  and  another  of  his  Family 
Sick  also,  that  dyed  a  short  time  after,  .  .  .  could 
not  prevail  so  much  as  to  go  home  to  take  leave  of  his 
Wife,  or  set  his  house  in  order,  tho*  earnestly  desired 
by  him,  promising  to  appear  at  any  time  they  should 
require  him;  No,  that  favour  could  not  be  granted, 
but  to  Prison  he  must  go,  altho  Humphrey  Morrey, 
the  Mayor  and  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  place,  offered 
to  be  bayl  for  him,  at  which  Sam  Jenings  raged  and 
bitterly  reflected  upon  him,  for  that  he  knew  his  place 
no  better.  And  what  was  all  this  for?  surely  some 
heinous  Crime  one  would  think,  why,  'twas  nor  more 
nor  less  than  for  letting  a  person  have  two  of  the 
printed  Appeals  to  the  yearly  Meeting  .  .  .  for 
2d  piece,  as  they  cost  him." 

This  difficulty  was  only  an  incident  in  Bradford's 
stirring  relations  with  the  authorities.  On  "20th  7  mo. 
1692,"  at  a  Councill  held  in  "ye  Councill  Room  at 
Philadelphia,"  a  message  of  warning  was  made  ready 
for  the  printer  of  independent  views  and  fearless 
behavior : 

"Wm.  Bradford  a  professed  printer  here  though 
under  severall  obligations  of  fidelity  to  the  Government 

78 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

and  severall  tymes  cautioned  not  to  publish  any  paper 
or  book  which  might  either  reflect  on  our  authority,  or 
contain  personal  reflections  to  the  promoting  of  feuds 
&  animositys  among  the  Inhabitants  here,  yet  through 
his  Enmity  &  officiousness  he  hath  prostrated  the  use 
&  service  of  his  press  to  gratify  a  troublous  member  of  a 
disaffected  Society." 

Next  day  "the  Board  intending  to  caution  the 
printer  concerning  the  Order  of  yesterday 's  sitting  Did 
send  for  Wm.  Bradford  &  his  servant.  But  the  Sheriff 
returned  Answer  That  the  Sd  Bradford  is  gone  out  of 
Town  to  stay  for  a  week.  And  his  man  is  gone  to  Mr. 
Salwys  plantacon." 

Morrey,  who  came  into  conflict  with  Bradford 
because  of  the  printer's  failure  to  heed  the  warning, 
ended  his  days  in  a  pursuit  that  was  in  great  contrast 
to  his  rather  belligerent  attitude  in  this  case.  In  1701 
he  retired  to  his  country  estate  and  became  a  breeder 
of  sheep.  Evidently  he  was  interested  in  this  pursuit 
even  before  his  selection  as  mayor,  since  it  is  recorded 
that  in  1690  there  was  presented  to  the  Commissioner 
of  Property  "the  Petition  of  Humphrey  Morrey  and 
James  Fox  for  themselves  and  in  behalf  of  those  con- 
cerned in  a  flock  of  sheep  in  Philadelphia."  This 
petition  requested  "a  convenient  piece  of  land  some- 
where about  the  town  for  keeping  them."  It  was 
"ordered  that  about  sixty  acres  be  laid  out  in  Square 
between  the  Broad  Street  and  so  far  towards  Dellaware 
as  Conveniently  may  be  so  that  it  be  near  Dock  Street 
and  Walnut  Street." 

Evidently  sheep  raising  in  the  public  land  was  a 
profitable  occupation,  for  in  1693  Morrey's  property 
was  rated  at  £600,  his  being  the  seventh  largest  estate 
in  the  Province. 

79 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Although  the  taxes  imposed  on  property  holders 
at  this  period  were  quite  small,  taxation  was  as  unpop- 
ular as  it  has  always  been.  When  the  law  of  1692, 
which  fixed  the  rate  was  passed,  a  petition  of  various 
citizens  was  sent  to  the  Assembly  couched  in  words  as 
follows: 

"The  Thing  therfor  touching  which  we  at  present 
give  you  the  trouble  of  these  Lines,  is  a  certain  Bill, 
promulgated  for  the  Assessing  and  Leavying  One 
Penny  per  Pound  out  of  the  supposed  Value  of  every 
Man's  Estate,  either  Heal  or  Personal,  and  two  Shillings 
per  Head  for  those  not  otherwise  Rated  which  Great 
Tax  on  it  will  doubtless  Amount  to  a  great  Sum  of 
Money,  for  which  we  know  no  present  Necessity, 
neither  is  there  any  particularly  alledged  in  the  said 
Bill;  so  the  deep  Impression  it  will  make  on  our  Estates 
...  is  very  grievous  and  very  discouraging  to  us.  .  .  . 

"If  it  be  so  heavy  and  grievous,  when  there  is  no 
Necessity  for  (as  we  are  sensible  of  at  present)  what 
may  we  expect  will  come  on  us,  when  there  is  any 
Colour  or  Pretence  of  a  Necessity  indeed?" 

The  charter  of  the  city,  dated  October  25,  1701, 
made  easier  the  administration  of  city  affairs,  including 
the  levying  of  taxes  and  the  enforcement  of  the  laws. 
Some  of  the  local  regulations  were  quite  odd.  An  action 
of  a  Grand  Jury  of  1702  called  attention  to  a  number 
of  matters  that  seem  strange  to  modern  citizens: 

"Wee  the  Grand  Inquest  for  the  Corporation  do 
present  George  Robinson,  Butcher,  for  being  a  person 
of  ievill  fame  as  a  Common  swarer  and  a  Common 
Drunker  and  particularly  upon  the  twenty-third  day  of 
this  instant  for  swaring  three  oaths  in  the  market  place 
and  also  for  uttering  two  very  bad  curses  the  twenty- 
sixth  day  of  this  instant. 
,80 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

"Wee  .  .  .  present  John  Smith  of  this  Citty  living 
in  Strabery  Alley  for  being  Maskt  or  Disgised  in 
women's  aparell;  walking  openly  through  ye  streets  of 
this  Citty,  and  from  house  to  house  ...  it  being 
against  ye  Law  of  God,  ye  Law  of  this  province,  and  ye 
Law  of  nature,  to  ye  staining  of  holy  profession,  and 
Incoridging  of  wickednes  in  this  place. 

"We,  the  Grand  Jury  for  the  body  of  the  citty, 
hauing  through  Severall  Informations,  and  by  our  owne 
knol'dge  Seriously  Considered  these  following  particu- 
lars which  are  common  Nuciences  and  Aggreuiances  to 
the  Inhabitants  of  this  Corporation,  which  we  humbly 
offer  to  the  Maior  and  Commonalty  of  the  Citty  to 
redress,  as  they  in  their  wisdom  shall  see  meete. 

"first,  we  the  said  Grand  Jury  doe  present  to  your 
consideration  the  great  abuse  the  Inhabitants  of  this 
city  doe  receive  by  the  great  liberty  of  Mens  sons  and 
servants  taking  lecentious  liberty  in  robbing  of  orchards 
and  committing  many  unruly  Actions  especially  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  Commonly  Called  the  lord's  Day. 

"2ndly.  The  great  abuse  and  the  111  Consiquence  of 
the  great  multitudes  of  Negroes  who  Commonly  meete 
togeither  in  a  Riott  and  Tumultious  manner  on  the 
first  days  of  the  week  above  said. 

"3dly.  We  also  present  to  your  consideration  the 
great  damage  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Citty  Do  Dayly 
sustaine  by  the  great  loss  of  their  sheepe  and  other 
Dammage  by  Reason  of  the  Unnecessary  Multitude  of 
Doggs  that  are  needlessly  kept  in  the  Citty  which  we 
humbly  desire  you  will  Speedily  Redress. 

"4thly.  We  Desire  that  some  speedy  care  may  be 
taken  of  the  prevention  of  hay  and  Reed  stacks  being 
placed  in  close  yards  and  in  fences  among  the  Throngs 
of  Buildings  which  may,  if  not  prevented,  prove  very 
detrimental  to  the  Citty  by  Reason  of  the  Causilty 
of  fire. 

"5thly.  we  also  present  to  your  consideration,  the 

81 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

great  Anoyance  that  Inhabitants  of  this  Citty  doe 
Dayly  Receive  by  Reason  of  butchers  killing  their 
meat  in  the  street,  and  Throughing  the  blood,  Dung  and 
Gargdish  in  the  streets,  which  is  very  hurtful  to  Jhe 
health  of  the  said  Inhabitants. 

"Also  to  prevent  Negroes  from  working  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week." 

The  Grand  Jury  of  1703  also  had  its  grist  of  strange 
presentments. 

"We,  of  ye  Grand  Jury  for  this  Citty,  Do  present 
Alex.  Sander  paxton  and  his  wife,  for  Letting  a  house 
to  John  Lovet,  he  being  a  stranger,  and  have  not  Given 
security  for  the  In  Damnifieing  of  the  Corporation. 

"We  doe  also  present  John  Furnis  and  Thomas 
McCarty,  and  Thomas  Anderson  and  henery  Flower, 
barbers,  for  Trimming  people  on  first  Days  of  the  week, 
commonly  called  Sunday,  contrary  to  the  law  in  that 
case  made  and  provided. 

"  We  present  John  Joyce,  Jr.,  for  haveing  of  to  wifes  at 
once,  which  is  boath  against  ye  Law  of  God  and  Man." 

In  1714  the  Grand  Jury  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  Peter  Evans  had  sent  to  Francis  Phillips  a  "certain 
callenge  in  writing": 

"Sir  You  have  basely  slandered  a  Gentlewoman 
that  I  have  a  profound  respect  for,  And  for  my  part 
shall  give  you  a  fair  opportunity  to  defend  your  self 
to-morrow  Morning,  on  the  west  side  of  Jos.  Carpenters 
Garden,  between  seven  and  8,  where  I  shall  expect  to 
meet  you  Gladio  cinctus,  in  failure  whereof  depend  upon 
the  Usage  you  deserve." 

This  document  was  laid  before  the  Jury,  and  a 
strange  verdict  was  given: 

"If,  upon  the  whole,  the  Court  do  Judge  the  words 
contained  in  the  said  letter  to  be  a  challenge,    Then  we 
do  find  the  said  Peter  Evans  guilty.  But  if  the  Court  do 
82 


BEGINNINGS   OF  CITY   GOVERNMENT 

Judge  the  words  contained  in  the  said  letter  are  no  chal- 
lenge.    Then  we  do  find  the  sd  Peter  Evans  not  guilty." 

Evidently  Francis  Phillips  did  not  like  the  atti- 
tude of  city  officials  in  the  matter,  or  in  some  other 
matter,  for  the  records  show  that  soon  afterwards  he 
was  indicted  for  attempting  to  * 'deprive,  annihilate 
and  contemn"  the  Mayor  and  Recorder  by  uttering 
"those  English  words  following  openly  and  publicly: 
'Tell  the  Mayor  and  Robert  Assheton,  that  they  are 
no  better  than  Rogues,  Villains  and  scoundrels;  for 
they  have  not  done  me  justice,  and  might  as  well 
have  sent  a  man  to  pick  my  pockett  or  rob  my  house, 
as  to  have  taken  away  myserv't." 

By  1717  the  Grand  Jury,  out  of  patience  with  such 
scurrilous  language,  proposed  a  remedy: 

"Whereas  it  has  been  frequently  andxrften  presented 
by  several  former  Grand  Jurys  for  the  City,  The 
Necessity  of  a  Ducking  Stool  and  house  of  Correction, 
for  the  just  punishment  of  scolding,  Drunken  women, 
as  well  as  Divers  other  profligate  and  Unruly  persons 
in  this  place  .  .  .  we  .  .  .  Do  Earnestly  again 
present  the  same  .  .  .  That  those  publick  Conveni- 
ances  may  not  be  longer  Delay'd  ..." 

The  new  city  was  not  allowed  to  wait  long  for  the 
appearance  of  the  ballot  stuffer  who  operated  in  a 
truly  modern  way.  The  date,  1705,  and  the  form  of  the 
report  of  the  heinous  proceeding  are  archaic,  but  the 
thing  described  does  not  seem  so  very  ancient.  The 
record  is  taken  from  a  petition  presented  to  the 
Provincial  Council  by  Peter  Evans,  who  was  the  candi- 
date of  the  Country  party  at  the  election  in  question: 

"Having  spent  the  whole  day  in  the  Election  of 
Representatives,  The  Sherriff  would  and  did  adjourn 

83 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

till  ye  next  morning,  wcb  not  being  condescended  to,  the 
Election  of  Sherriffe  came  on  and  upon  a  view  a  Candi- 
date was  Chosen  .  .  .  and  the  two  were  put  up,  one 
whereof  was  undoubtedly  elected  and  so  generally  cryd 
out,  Whereupon  the  Country  party  (among  whom  lay 
the  interests  of  the  last  Elected),  it  being  very  late, 
withdrew  for  their  severall  habitations.  After  which 
the  Townsparty  began  to  be  eager  for  the  Box,  knowing 
that  then  they  were  able  to  carry  on  their  Clandestine 
Designs  (The  Sheriff e  having  long  before  withdrawn), 
and  accordingly  amongst  themselves  they  hatched  it; 
permitting  ServtB  and  all  that  went  for  their  Cause  to 
have  their  Vote,  and  objecting  against  and  denying 
others  y*  had  Competent  Estates  to  have  any;  beside, 
the  Method  of  Electing  was  contrary  to  the  positive 
Agreem*  had,  and  the  Practices  used  in  such  cases 
before  on  that  day  of  ...  nominating  only  one  at 
a  time." 

A  more  serious  problem  confronted  the  City  Fathers 
within  a  few  years.  In  1708  there  was  anxiety  in 
Philadelphia  because  of  the  activity  along  the  North 
Atlantic  coast  of  privateers  and  pirates.  It  was  a 
favorite  practice  of  the  freebooters  of  the  sea  to  lurk 
without  the  Delaware  Capes  and  pounce  on  ships  from 
Philadelphia  as  they  entered  the  open  ocean.  Governor 
John  Evans  appealed  to  Lord  Cornbury  to  supply  a 
man-of-war  to  be  stationed  at  Philadelphia,  but  without 
success. 

A  French  privateer  attempted,  in  1709,  to  land  a 
force  at  Lewes,  Delaware.  The  Governor  of  the  state, 
who  was  there  at  the  time,  fearing  that  unwary  captains 
would  sail  their  vessels  into  the  lion's  jaws,  sent  a 
messenger  up  the  river  in  a  boat,  pulled  by  four  sturdy 
rowers.  They  were  instructed  to  warn  every  vessel 
84 


SIR   WILLIAM    KEITH 
(From  the  portrait  by  Albert  Rosenthal,  in  Independence  Hall) 


HANNAH    CALLOWHILL   PENN,    SECOND    WIFE    OF   WILLIAM    PENN 
(From  a  painting  by  Henry  G.  Wright) 


STAIRWAY    AT    247    SOUTH    SIXTH    STREET 


A   BIT   OF   THE    OLD    LANTERN,    CAMAC    HOUSE,    320   SOUTH   THlttD    STREET 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

they  met  and  not  to  pause  until  they  reached  Phila- 
delphia. To-day  such  a  long  pull  at  the  oars,  at  high 
speed,  would  cause  comment,  but  in  those  heroic  days 
the  journey  was  lookd  on  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Four  years  later  there  was  news  that  supplied  the 
text  for  many  excited  conversations  in  the  taverns,  on 
the  streets,  and  in  the  houses.  Eight  seamen  arrived 
with  a  strange  story.  They  said  that  while  they  were 
on  the  way  to  Jamaica,  their  captain  died.  Soon  after 
they  fell  in  with  another  sloop,  whose  commander 
persuaded  them  to  mutiny.  In  one  of  the  sloops  the 
combined  company  started  on  a  career  of  piracy.  After 
capturing  a  ship  the  eight  men  deserted  and  hurried  to 
Philadelphia.  There  they  gave  themselves  up,  but 
after  hearing  then-  story  the  Council  not  only  com- 
mended them  for  their  course  in  yielding  themselves, 
but  released  them  from  custody.  There  was  a  law 
against  piracy,  but  it  was  felt  that  in  this  case  justice 
should  be  tempered  with  mercy. 

The  famous  John  Teach,  or  Blackbeard,  as  he  was 
popularly  known,  was  in  or  near  Philadelphia  at 
about  this  time.  With  bated  breath  the  men  on  the 
water  front  told  tales  of  his  prowess,  only  to  turn  pale 
when  they  realized,  perhaps,  that  they  had  been  speak- 
ing to  the  dreaded  man  himself.  He  managed  to  appear 
and  disappear  in  the  most  uncanny  fashion.  He  seemed 
to  bear  a  charmed  life.  No  one  knew  when  he  would 
be  on  land  again  after  one  of  his  cruises,  and  no  one 
could  tell  when  disaster  might  come  to  the  city's 
shipping  through  him.  There  was  therefore  great 
relief  when  finally  he  was  captured  and  punished. 

The  readers  of  The  American  Weekly  Mercury  of 

85 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

March  17,  1720,  were  treated  to  a  startling  story  of 
piracy  which  Andrew  Bradford  served  up  for  them: 

"  The  beginning  of  last  Month  Arrived  in  the  Capes 
of  Virginia,  Capt.  Knot  in  a  Ship  of  150  Tons  and  12 
Men  from  London,  the  said  Capt.  within  200  Leagues 
of  the  Capes,  was  taken  by  a  Pyrate  Ship  that  was 
lately  come  from  the  Coast  of  Guiney,  but  last  from 
Brasil,  man'd  with  148  bold  Fellows;  they  took  from 
Knot  some  provision,  but  restored  him  the  Ship  and 
Cargo.  The  Capt,  of  the  Pyrates  Obliged  Knot  to 
take  8  of  his  Men  on  board  his  Ship,  and  made  him  give 
an  Obligation  under  his  Hand,  that  he  shiped  them  on 
Passengers  from  London,  to  Virginia.  The  Pyrates 
Captain  gave  those  Men  a  Boat,  which  Boat,  Capt. 
Knot  was  Obliged  to  let  any  of  them  have,  when  they 
requested,  to  go  from  his  ship.  The  pyrates  also  put 
two  Portuguese  Prisoners  on  Board  which  they  had 
taken  on  the  Coast  of  Brasil,  to  be  set  on  Shore  in 
Virginia.  When  Knot  arrived  within  the  Capes,  the 
wind  turning  Westerly,  he  came  to  an  Anchor,  upon 
which  4  of  the  Pyrates  came  to  him  and  required  him 
to  hoist  their  boat  out." 

The  men  rowed  up  the  Bay  and  into  "Black  River." 
Then  they  sought  a  Tavern,  "where  they  might  ease 
themselves  of  their  Golden  Luggage." 

At  the  tavern  they  spent  money  lavishly,  one 
purchasing  the  freedom  of  a  number  of  indentured 
English  women  servants.  The  price  paid  was  £30. 
Later  their  extravagance  brought  them  under  observa- 
tion, and  they  were  "committed  on  Suspicion"  of 
being  pirates  "to  the  County  Gaol." 

The  other  four  pirates  landed  at  Hampton  on  James 
River,  where  they  too,  came  under  suspicion,  and  were 

arrested. 
86 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

The  Portuguese  captives  later  told  their  story  to  a 
ship  captain  who  understood  the  language.  He  imme- 
diately took  them  to  the  Governor.  On  their  informa- 
tion the  eight  men  were  arrested,  but  at  the  trial  they 
insisted  that  they  had  been  taken  from  the  coast  of 
Guinea  and  had  been  forced  to  become  pirates.  The 
Portuguese  testified  that  "they  appeared  as  forward  in 
Action  and  were  as  busy  in  Plundering  as  any  of  the 
Crew." 

The  eight  men  were  thereupon  sentenced  to  death. 
Six  were  executed,  but  two  were  reprieved.  "They 
died  as  they  lived,"  the  account  went  on,  "nor  shewing 
any  Sign  of  Repentance;  their  Bodies  were  afterwards 
hanged  in  Chains.  They  brought  on  shore  with  them 
in  Spanish  Gold  and  Gold  Dust  upward  of  1500  Pounds 
sterling.  Seven  of  the  Pirates  were  English  Men,  the 
other  a  Mulatto." 

The  danger  from  pirates  was  at  its  height  in  1722. 
One  day  in  July  of  that  year  it  was  reported  that  the 
only  vessel  that  had  entered  the  port  of  Philadelphia 
for  a  whole  week  was  a  sloop  that  had  been  plundered 
by  a  pirate  on  the  outward  voyage.  All  other  vessels 
sought  safety  either  by  remaining  in  the  port  or  by 
scurrying  away  from  the  Cape,  near  which  lay  a  pirate 
vessel. 

The  vessel  owners  and  captains  soon  became  so 
wary  that  the  pirates  would  adopt  the  ruse  of  entering 
the  Capes,  flying  the  English  flag.  A  pilot  boat  would 
then  be  signalled  and  later  captured.  Pirates  would 
then  board  the  pilot  boat  and,  when  inbound  vessels 
would  signal  for  assistance  in  entering  the  river,  their 
capture  became  easy. 

87 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Later  Philadelphia  took  a  hand  herself  in  the  priva- 
teering game.  A  number  of  vessels  were  fitted  out  and 
sent  to  sea  to  prey  on  the  commerce  of  the  enemies  of 
England.  The  Pennsylvania  Gazette  of  January  21, 
1746,  contained  an  appeal  to  those  who  were  ready  to 
help  in  one  of  these  ventures: 

"Now  fitting  out  for  a  Cruizing  Voyage  against  his 
Majesty's  Enemies  and  will  Sail  in  Two  Weeks,  the 
Ship  Pandour,  William  Dowell,  Commander;  Burthen 
about  300  Tons;  to  carry  24  Carriage  Guns,  nine  and 
six  pounderss  24  Swivels,  and  30  Brass  Blundersbusses, 
with  150  Men,  is  a  new  Ship,  built  for  a  Privateer,  and 
every  way  completely  fitted  out  for  that  purpose. 

"All  Gentlemen  Sailors,  and  others,  inclin'd  to  enter 
on  board  .  .  .  may  repair  to  the  Commander  afore- 
said, or  to  the  Sign  of  the  Boatswain  and  Call,  near  the 
Draw-Bridge,  Philadelphia,  [originally  the  Blue  Anchor} 
where  the  Articles  are  to  be  seen  and  sign'd  by  those 
who  are  willing  to  go  the  Cruize." 

In  1748  a  Spanish  brigantine  managed  to  enter  the 
Capes  by  the  use  of  the  pilot  boat  ruse.  A  sailor  of 
one  of  the  captured  vessels,  learning  of  the  plan  to  take 
New  Castle  that  night,  swam  ashore  and  gave  warning. 
The  town  was  saved,  but  several  sloops  were  captured 
at  Reedy  Island. 

Word  was  taken  to  Philadelphia  of  the  coming  of 
the  terrible  enemy,  and  the  inhabitants  decided  that 
they  could  not  escape  pillage.  To  be  sure,  they  had 
the  sloop-of-war  Otter,  which  had  been  sent  for  their 
defence  in  just  such  emergencies.  But  the  Otter  was 
undergoing  repairs.  The  batteries  were  taken  from  the 
sloop  and  planted  near  what  is  now  Lombard  Street, 

88 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

below  Old  Swedes  Church.  Fortunately  the  enemy  took 
warning,  and  the  city  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief. 

But  Philadelphia  lawmakers  had  to  contend  with 
predatory  gentry  nearer  home.  The  days  when  a  man 
could  safely  go  to  bed  leaving  valuable  property  on 
the  porch  where  he  had  been  spending  the  evening 
were  long  since  past.  Burglaries  were  common,  and 
sneak  thieves  were  everywhere.  One  day  in  January, 
1767,  Neddy  Burd,  a  student  at  the  college  in  Phila- 
delphia, wrote  to  his  family  in  Lancaster: 

"There  is  a  nest  of  Robbers  here  which  make  People 
More  careful  about  their  Houses.  Two  Fellowes 
Hagarty  &  Morrison  at  Noon  Day  went  into  the  Street 
Door  of  the  Gov'rs  House  &  stole  two  Silver  Candle- 
sticks out  of  the  Pantry  at  the  other  End  of  the  House 
they  were  happily  detected  &  have  received  their 
punishment.  The  same  Morrison  went  into  a  Tavern- 
keeper's  House  (before  the  other  thefts)  &  bore  off  a 
Man's  great  Coat  from  the  Back  of  his  Chair  while  He 
warmed  himself  at  the  Fire,  but  was  not  catched.  The 
same  two  Fellows  &  Consiglio  &  Bowman  went  into  a 
Tavernkeeper's  House  &  Carried  off  a  Mahogany  Chest 
full  of  Player's  cloathes  from  a  Room  up  two  Pair  of 
Stairs!  while  the  Family  were  at  Supper." 

In  the  Pennsyvlania  Gazette  of  October  31,  1765, 
a  householder  whose  premises  had  been  violated, 
advertised: 

"9 "  Three  Pounds  Reward. 

"Whereas  in  the  Night,  between  Sunday  and  Mon- 
day last,  the  27th  and  28th  instant,  the  House  of  Robert 
Moore,  Cabinet  Maker,  was  broken  open,  by  cutting  a 
Pannel  out  of  the  Kitchen  Door,  whereby  they  came  at 
the  Bolt,  but  this  Noise  awakening  one  of  the  Family, 
who  perceiving  a  Man  in  the  Room,  cried  out,  when  he 
immediately  ran  down  Stairs,  out  of  Doors,  and  over 
the  Yard  Fence.  Then  were  more  men  heard  below 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Stairs,  who,  as  it  appeared,  were  attempting  to  force 
open  a  Desk,  but  had  not  Time  enough,  they  carried 
off  a  lightish  coloured  superfine  Cloth  coat,  about  half 
worn,  with  white  Lining,  a  fine  Beaver  Hat,  little  the 
worse  for  Wear,  Maker's  Name  John  Test,  Philadelphia, 
two  new  Womens  Shifts,  and  a  white  Apron.  The  Man 
that  was  seen  had  on  a  Sailor's  Jacket  and  Trowsers. 
Whoever  will  give  Information  of  the  above  Things, 
with  the  Thief  or  Thieves,  so  that  he  or  they  may  be 
convicted,  and  the  Things,  recovered,  shall  receive  from 
the  subscriber,  Three  Pounds  Reward. 

"Robert  Moore." 

Elizabeth  Drinker  told  in  her  diary  for  1781  of 
the  operation  of  another  sneak  thief :  > 

"On  ye  second  day  of  ye  yearly  meeting  as  Sally 
and  Mary  were  about  dressing,  they  missed  6  silk 
gowns,  all  nearly  as  good  as  new,  which  had  been  taken 
out  of  a  Drawer  in  ye  blue  Room,  by  whom  we  could 
give  no  guess,  but  before  night  Wm  Rush,  who  is  a 
Magistrate,  informed  us,  that  six  such  gowns  as  we 
described  were  at  Benj'n  Paschalls,  who  is  also  a  Magis- 
trate, they  were  found  on  first  day  morning,  thrown 
over  a  fence,  and  taken  to  Paschall's  by  the  Constables, 
who  had  taken  up  a  woman,  who  had  got  privately  out 
of  Jail  on  seventh  day  afternoon,  where  she  had  been 
confined  many  months.  She  had  not  been  above  three 
hours  at  liberty,  before  she  was  taken  up  and  sent  back 
for  her  old  misdemeanor." 

Among  breaches  of  the  law  at  this  period  were 
reckoned  bull-baiting,  bear-baiting,  cock-fighting,  bowls, 
billiards  and  quoits.  Stage  plays  also  were  prohibited. 
Keith,  in  "Chronicles  of  Pennsylvania",  tells  of  a  wan- 
dering showman  who  arrived  in  Philadelphia  and  set 
up  a  stage  just  below  South  Street.  As  this  was  outside 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  city,  the  Lieutenant  Governor 
90 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

was  asked  to  put  a  stop  to  the  scandalous  performance. 
The  request  was  refused,  and  the  play  was  produced  for 
sometime,  to  the  distress  of  the  staid  Quakers  of  the  city. 
For  many  years  the  Quakers  were  supreme  in  city 
political  affairs.  Most  of  the  early  officeholders  were 
Friends.  One  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  Quaker 
mayors  was  William  Hudson,  whose  political  career 
began  soon  after  his  marriage  to  the  daughter  of  one 
who  was  a  leader  in  city  and  Provincial  life.  His 
service  as  Mayor  for  the  years  1725-26  was  remarkable 
for  his  efforts  to  alleviate  suffering.  Thomas  Allen 
Glenn  gives  a  pleasing  description  of  him : 

"He  was  one  of  the  first  Philadelphians  to  work  for 
prison  reform.  He  made  almost  daily  visits  to  the 
prison,  endeavoring  to  lessen  the  sufferings  of  the 
wretched  inmates,  and  create  in  them  an  ambition 
towards  a  future  useful  life.  He  delighted  in  hospital 
work  and  in  visiting  the  sick  poor  ...  In  his  dress 
he  was  rather  inclined  to  be  as  fashionable  as  a  con- 
sistent Quaker  could  well  be.  He  was  usually  clad  in  a 
black  velvet  suit  with  large  silver  buttons,  and  silver 
shoe-buckles,  and  carried  a  long  gilt-headed  cane, 
with  a  leather  loop  and  tassel.  He  appeared  in  public, 
except  when  he  went  to  Meeting  on  First  Days,  in  a 
fine  Coach  which  was  valued  after  his  death — although 
then  ancient — at  £14,  being  a  rare  luxury  at  that  time 
.  .  .  He  was  a  stout  and  successful  defender  of  the 
rights  of  Quakers  to  remain  with  heads  covered  in  the 
courts  of  justice,  and  while  on  the  bench  kept  his  own 
fashionable  beaver  firmly  upon  his  head." 

The  peaceful  William  Hudson,  during  whose  term 
everything  seemed  to  go  smoothly,  would  have  held 
up  his  hands  in  horror  at  conditions  which  led  to  riot 
the  year  of  his  death,  1742.  The  letter  of  a  friend  to 

91 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

William  Penn  tells  the  sad  story  of  what  was  the  first 
grave  election  disorder  in  the  city's  history: 

"The  law  for  Chusing  Inspectors  by  the  Constables 
in  the  different  Wards  being  elaps'd,  and  the  Partys 
Not  agreeing  amongst  themselves,  tho  that  of  the 
Governours  made  some  fair  Offers  to  the  other,  the 
Inspectors  were  to  be  chosen  the  old  way,  of  that  by 
view,  on  the  day  of  Election  a  great  number  of  Dutch 
appear'd  for  the  Quakers,  said  not  to  be  properly 
qualified  they  carried  all  the  Inspectors  to  a  man,  upon 
this  a  number  of  Sailors  in  all  I  believe  sixty  came  up  to 
the  Markett  Street  with  clubs  in  their  hands  knock'd 
down  all  that  stood  in  their  way  or  did  not  fly  before 
them  and  blood  flew  plentifully  about.  Mr  Norris  as  a 
Magistrate  went  to  make  peace,  and  he  was  knock'd 
down  had  two  severe  Wounds  on  his  head  &  had  he  not 
crept  under  the  stalls  I  believe  he  would  have  been 
kilPd;  old  Mr  Pemberton  had  several  smart  blows  that 
lamed  his  hand  for  some  time.  Tom  Lloyd,  young 
Fishbourne,  Rakestraw,  Shad  the  barber  and  one  Evans 
of  North  Wales  an  old  Quaker  of  upwards  of  60  years 
were  all  knock'd  down  and  the  last  has  lost  his  Senses 
as  I  am  informed  by  the  wounds  he  rec'd  on  his  head, 
and  number  of  other  persons  to  me  unknown  shared  the 
same  Fate,  I  never  saw  such  havock  in  my  life  before 
the  Streets  &  Court  house  stairs  were  clear'd  in  a  few 
Minutes,  and  none  but  the  Sailors  crying  out  down  with 
the  plain  Coats  &  broad  Brims  then  they  took  up  great 
Stones  &  Bricks,  from  the  Lott  you  sold  by  the  Meeting 
where  the  people  had  begun  to  bild  and  broke  the  Court 
house  Windows  all  to  pieces  and  those  that  were  in  the 
house  got  several  Smart  blows,  at  last  the  Dutch  and 
other  Country  people  being  inraged  return'd  in  a  Body 
with  Clubbs,  and  the  Dutch  were  for  getting  guns  but 
were  prevented  drove  the  Sailors  before  them  they 
took  to  the  Shipping  and  with  the  assistance  of  Mr 
Lawrence  who  was  very  active  and  Charles  Willing 
they  took  40  of  them  and  sent  'em  to  Gaol." 
92 


BEGINNINGS   OF   CITY   GOVERNMENT 

Five  years  after  this  riot,  stirred  up  in  the  interest 
of  some  one  who  wanted  an  office,  the  chief  office  in  the 
city's  gift  went  begging.  On  October  6, 1747,  Alderman 
Morris  was  chosen  mayor  by  the  Common  Council. 
He  was  not  present,  so  a  committee  made  up  of  Charles 
Willing  and  Samuel  Rhoads  was  appointed  to  tell  him 
of  his  election.  The  committee  reported  that,  when 
they  went  to  Mr.  Morris's  house  they  were  told  by 
his  daughter  that  he  was  not  in  the  city.  Thereupon  the 
Council  adjourned  until  afternoon,  when  they  would 
decide  what  it  was  best  to  do.  At  the  afternoon  meeting 
"the  Recorder  informed  the  Board  that  he  had  consult- 
ed the  Attorney  General,  and  it  was  His  opinion 
that  a  written  notice  should  be  sent  to  Alderman 
Morris's  House,  signifying  he  was  so  elected  as  afore- 
said; and  likewise  that  a  Messenger  should  be  dispatched 
into  the  Country  where  it  was  said  he  was  gone,  with  a 
like  notice,  and  endeavour  to  procure  his  assurance 
whether  he  would  serve  in  the  office  or  not." 

A  notice  was  therefore  sent  to  Mrs.  Morris,  but  she 
refused  to  receive  it.  The  bearer  of  the  second  notice 
reported  that  he  had  not  succeeded  in  finding  the 
truant  Mayor-elect. 

So  the  Council  proceeded  to  make  a  second  choice, 
and  William  Atwood  was  elected  Mayor  for  the  next 
year. 

Possibly  the  fact  that  the  mayor  was  expected  to 
serve  without  salary  made  Alderman  Morris  choose 
to  pay  a  fine  rather  than  serve  in  an  office  that  took 
time  and  brought  nothing  but  expense. 

That  year  the  salary  of  the  mayor  was  fixed  at  £100. 
In  1796  this  was  raised  to  $1000,  and  in  1805  to  $2000. 

93 


IV 

GLIMPSES  OF  BUSINESS  LIFE 

WHALING  AND  WHALEMEN — HE  WANTED  Hia  SHIP  INSURED — STEPHEN 
GERARD'S  RISE  TO  POWER — A  PHYSICIAN  WHO  CURED  ALL  His  PATIENTS 
— THE  GOLDSMITH'S  ACCOUNTS — WHY  BRYAN  O  HARA  INCREASED  His 
CHARGES — DIFFICULTIES  OF  TRADE  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION — 
ROBERT  MORRIS  IN  FINANCIAL  DIFFICULTIES — HUMOR  IN  THE  PRISON 

ONE  is  startled  to  find  in  William  Penn's  "Further 
Account  of  Pennsylvania"  a  paragraph  that 
speaks  of  an  industry  that  in  the  minds  of  most 
people   could   not   be    connected    with    Philadelpha. 
He  said: 

"Mighty  Whales  roll  upon  the  Coast,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Bay  of  Delaware.  Eleven  caught  and 
workt  into  Oyl  one  season.  We  justly  hope  a  consider- 
able profit  by  a  Whalery,  they  being  so  numerous  and 
the  Shore  so  suitable." 

Later  in  the  same  document  he  quotes  from  a  letter 
written  to  him  in  August,  1685,  by  one  of  the  residents 
of  Philadelphia: 

"I  do  understand  three  Companies  for  Whale 
Catching  are  designed  to  fish  in  the  River  Mouth  this 
season." 

For  many  years  whaling  was  a  profitable  pursuit, 
and  even  as  late  as  1814,  the  unwieldy  denizen  of  the 
deep  was  not  a  stranger  to  Philadelphia.  On  December 
3  of  that  year  an  announcement  was  given  publicity, 
which  told  the  people  of  the  city  by  the  Delaware: 
94 


GLIMPSES  OF  BUSINESS  LIFE 

"The  Whale  which  was  harpooned  and  taken  by 
four  barges  after  an  arduous  chase  of  three  days,  in  the 
river  Delaware,  near  Trenton  Bridge,  will  for  a  few 
days  be  exhibited  near  the  High  Bridge,  Kensington. 
This  whale  is  believed  to  be  of  the  familiar  species 
called  the  Spermacetti  Whale.  It  has  been  viewed 
by  several  efficient  Whale  Fishers,  and  all  agreed  that 
notwithstanding  his  great  size  and  extraordinary 
strength  of  frame  and  muscle,  he  is  a  young  Whale. 
.  .  .  It  may  never  occur  that  the  present  generation 
may  have  an  opportunity  of  gratifying  a  laudable 
curiosity  at  so  little  trouble,  and  so  trifling  an  expense 
as  they  now  can.  The  Whale  is  pickled,  and  in  as 
pure  a  state,  as  the  day  it  was  caught." 

The  business  acumen  that  led  some  of  the  early 
colonists  to  go  after  whales  and  taught  a  later  resident 
of  the  city  to  make  capital  out  of  a  "pickled  whale," 
was  a  characteristic  of  Philadelphia's  merchants  from 
the  beginning  of  the  city's  history.  They  knew  how 
to  turn  their  hands  to  anything  and  to  make  profit 
wherever  they  turned. 

The  ledger  of  Judge  William  Trent — for  whom 
Trenton  was  named — shows  that  he  was  "a  shipping 
merchant  and  a  ship  owner,  a  dealer  in  or  handler 
of  -cord-wood,  wine,  brandy,  rum,  pottery,  flour,  bran, 
tobacco,  bread,  salt,  molasses,  tallow,  cordage,  powder, 
servants,  corn,  butter,  negroes  staves,  blankets, 
'oyl,'  wampum,  yarn,  insurance,  exchange  notes, 
'orders/  real  estate,  ships,  horses,  cows,  knives,  anchors, 
and  dry  goods.  In  1703  he  handled  282,018  hundred- 
weight of  tobacco  and  2579  skins,  besides  the  furs 
and  skins  of  48  elk,  1269  deer,  101  beaver,  104  otter, 
1381  raccoon,  1209  bear,  752  fox  and  wolf,  687  mink 
and  marten,  738  muskrats  and  330  "sundries." 

95 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Most  of  these  goods  were  sent  out  of  the  country, 
for  his  chief  business  was  supplying  cargoes  from  Phila- 
delphia and  receiving  cargoes  sent  to  the  city  in  return. 
It  is  said  that  he  had  an  interest  varying  from  one- 
sixth  to  the  whole  in  every  "voyage"  or  "venture" 
that  came  to  or  went  out  of  that  part  of  Philadelphia 
in  1703. 

An  associate  of  Judge  Trent  was  the  William 
Hudson  who  became  mayor  in  1725.  To  his  work  as  a 
tanner — he  owned  a  number  of  tanneries  in  and  near 
the  city — he  added  that  of  the  ship  owner  and  ship- 
ping merchant.  For  nearly  fifty  years  he  was  one 
of  the  city's  leaders  in  business. 

As  early  as  1710  Philadelphia's  water  front  was 
a  busy  place.  Richard  Castleman,  "Gent.,"  who  came 
to  town  during  that  year,  said: 

"There  are  several  coves  and  docks  where  large 
ships  are  built;  and  by  a  moderate  computation  there 
have  been  loaded  from  the  stocks  of  the  city  .  .  . 
more  than  300  sail  of  ships,  besides  small  craft,  which 
may  in  some  sort  give  us  an  idea  of  the  opulency  of 
the  place." 

For  many  years  much  of  the  wealth  was  tied  up 
in  vessels  and  their  cargoes.  At  one  time  one  merchant 
controlled  or  owned  twenty  vessels,  ships,  brigantines, 
schooners,  and  sloops.  In  these  vessels  he  received  rum 
and  sugar  from  Barbadoes,  linen  from  Liverpool,  rice 
from  South  Carolina,  wine  from  Madeira,  and  spirits 
from  Jamaica;  and  he  sent  muskets,  pistols,  cutlasses 
and  gunpowder  to  Jamaica,  onions  to  Antigua,  and 
chocolate  to  Virginia. 

A  letter  sent  to  "Mr.  Wharton"  from  New  York, 
96 


CURRENCY    OF    THE    PROVINCE    OF    PENNSYLVANIA,     1759 


STEPHEN    GIRARD    AT    HIS    DESK 


GLIMPSES  OF   BUSINESS   LIFE 

dated  January  28,  1756,  indicates  that  a  large  business 
in  ship  insurance  must  have  been  done  here.  The 
letter  was  written  by  a  vessel  owner  who  wished  to 
make  a  better  bargain  in  insuring  a  ship  that  had  been  a 
long  time  on  its  way  than  he  had  any  right  to  expect 
to  make.  He  asked  Mr.  Wharton  to  advise  him  what 
"  Insheurence  "could  be  mad,e  on  "  ye  Schooner  M argret" 
From  hence  to  ye  Coast  of  Affrica  &  From  thence 
for  Barbadus,  for  advice,  if  no  warr  from  Barbadus 
to  Charlestown,  S°  Carolina — If  a  warr  to  sell  at 
Barbadus,  or  proceede  to  Jamaca."  He  added  the 
information  that  the  vessel  sailed  on  November  16, 
1755,  that  she  was  "mounted  with  4  CaregeGunns  & 
5  Swivald  Blunderbuses,  a  Sofishent  quantity  of 
muskets  &  Ammonisen."  He  wanted  £1000  Inshuerence 
made  on  Vessel  and  Cargoe — but  he  was  unwilling  to 
pay  more  than  a  modest  premium. 

Ship  builders  as  well  as  ship  owners  had  an  eye  to 
the  main  chance.  An  early  advertisement  offered 
for  sale  "the  ship  Ocean,  copper  fastened  and  copper 
sheathed  to  the  bends,  and  ready  for  an  Indian  voyage 
or  any  other  voyage."  To  this  announcement  was 
added  the  information  that  the  vender  had  for  sale 
"a  few  pipes  of  old  high-flavored  4th  proof  Charante 
brandy." 

The  story  of  a  ship  of  that  day  from  the  stocks 
through  the  various  voyages  that  helped  to  fill  the 
coffers  of  its  owner  is  suggestive.  There  is,  for  instance, 
the  record  of  Stephen  Girard's  ship  Good  Friends.1 


1An  illustration  in  color  of  this  vessel  will  be  found  in  the  second 
volume  of  "The  Life  and  Times  of  Stephen  Girard"  by  John  Bach 
McMaster,  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  1918. 

97 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

She  was  bought,  a  wreck,  in  1792.  When  rebuilt 
she  was  of  246  tons  and  carried  twenty  guns.  In  1793 
she  went  to  Bordeaux  where  she  was  held  because  of 
the  embargo.  In  1795  she  was  again  at  Philadelphia. 
Later  voyages  were  made  to  Hamburg,  Amsterdam, 
Bordeaux,  Isle  of  France,  and  Leghorn.  In  1806  she 
was  boarded  by  a  British  privateer.  In  1808  she  was 
laid  up  on  account  of  the  Long  Embargo.  In  1809  she 
sailed  for  Gothenburg  but  was  captured  by  a  Danish 
privateer.  She  was  released  a  year  later.  In  1811 
Girard  sent  her  to  England.  In  1812  she  put  in  at 
Amelia  Island,  off  the  coast  of  Florida.  Later  she  was 
seized  by  United  States  Customs  authorities  for  viola- 
tion of  the  Non-Importation  law.  Suit  was  entered 
against  the  owner  for  $915,000.  Then  she  went  to 
Charleston  for  cotton  destined  for  Europe.  On  her 
capture  by  the  British  she  has  sold  to  Barings  for 
£3000,  but  after  the  close  of  the  war  they  offered  to 
resell  her  to  Girard.  He  was  unable  to  buy  "  that  favor- 
ite vessel,"  because  of  the  impossibility  of  obtaining 
register 

But  the  story  of  Stephen  Girard  himself  is  far  more 
interesting  than  that  of  any  of  his  ships.  In  May, 
1776,  while  on  his  way  home  to  France,  in  a  ship  of 
which  he  was  master  as  well  as  part  owner,  a  storm 
drove  him  into  Delaware  Bay.  A  pilot  was  secured, 
and  the  vessel  was  taken  to  safety  just  in  time  to  escape 
the  British  fleet.  Captain  Girard  had  no  money  then 
current  in  Philadelphia,  so  he  borrowed  from  a  stranger 
the  amount  of  the  pilot's  fee.  Thus  the  future  phil- 
anthropist came  on  borrowed  money  to  the  city  which 
was  later  to  benefit  by  his  gifts. 


GLIMPSES   OF   BUSINESS  LIFE 

Disposing  of  his  vessel,  lie  engaged  in  commerce. 
On  October  27,  1778,  he  took  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  country  that  had  received  him  so  graciously. 
At  the  time  he  was  living  at  Mt.  Holly,  New  Jersey. 
Return  to  the  city  became  possible  in  1779.  A  vessel 
was  built  for  him  and  sea  ventures  were  once  more 
undertaken. 

In  1791  and  1792  he  built  six  new  ships,  marvels 
of  speed,  which  were  at  once  employed  in  trade  to  all 
parts  of  the  world.  The  extent  of  the  commerce  is 
indicated  thus  by  Ingram  in  his  biography  of  Girard : 

"A  ship  would  sail  with  a  cargo  of  cotton  and  grain 
for  Bordeaux,  where  it  would  reload  with  fruit  and  wine 
for  Saint  Petersburg,  and  there  discharge  this  cargo, 
replacing  it  with  hemp  and  iron.  In  turn  this  would 
be  sold  in  Amsterdam  for  specie,  laden  with  which  the 
ship  would  sail  for  Calcutta  and  Canton,  where  tea, 
silks,  and  East  India  goods  would  be  bought  for  the 
return  voyage  to  Philadelphia." 

The  list  of  exports  from  Philadelphia  in  the  years 
following  1765  is  surprising.  They  included  wheat, 
flour,  bread,  stoves  and  beading,  corn,  iron,  soap,  flax 
seed,  furs,  lard,  butter,  beef,  pork,  walnut  logs,  deer- 
skins, potash,  brown  sugar,  loaf  sugar,  "melasses," 
wine,  oil,  rum,  fish,  candles,  chocolate,  salt,  cotton, 
wool,  leather,  rice,  coaches,  chariots,  chaises,  sulkys, 
wagons,  wheelbarrows,  drays,  ploughs,  barrows,  pumps, 
boats,  carts,  saddletrees,  cartridges,  stoves,  bricks,  lime, 
tobacco,  indigo,  turpentine,  paper,  pasteboard.  Of 
course  the  quantity  of  some  of  the  products  was  quite 
small.  Before  the  Revolutionary  War  many  things 
were  shipped  as  raw  material  to  foreign  markets,  and 

99 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

were  later  returned  in  a  manufactured  state.  But 
after  the  war  much  of  the  raw  material  was  manufac- 
tured at  home,  and  the  finished  production  sent  abroad. 

Philadelphia  merchants  did  a  large  business  with 
the  country  districts,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  trans- 
portation arrangements  were  of  the  crudest.  Fre- 
quently a  visitor  to  the  city  was  entrusted  with  all 
sorts  of  commissions  to  the  stores,  or  a  resident  would 
be  asked  by  some  country  cousins  to  give  freely  the 
benefit  of  his  leasure  for  a  trip  to  the  markets.  Before 
the  Revolution  Neddy  Burd,  of  Lancaster,  who  was 
attending  the  college  which  later  became  part  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  sometimes  had  so 
many  commissions  given  to  him  that  his  studies  must 
have  suffered.  Once  he  was  asked  to  get  for  Granny 
yarn,  "as  near  the  color  of  the  sample  as  could  be  got." 
Then  he  was  asked  to  secure  lemons  and  a  Gloucester 
cheese.  He  succeeded  in  buying  the  last  cheese  on 
sale  in  the  city,  so  he  wrote  home,  "Unless  this  had 
been  secured  you  must  have  waited  for  English  cheese 
until  the  agreement  of  our  merchants  about  Non- 
Importation  should  be  dissolved  by  a  Repeal  of  the 
Revenue  Act."  His  grandfather  took  his  turn  by  asking 
him  to  procure  such  necessary  things  as  a  bottle  of 
red  ink,  twenty-five  gallons  of  molasses  and  a  lot  of 
salmon.  •< 

Among  the  records  of  business  and  professional 
life  in  the  city  some  of  the  most  curious  are  the  bills 
of  physicians.  One  of  these,  dated  1717,  and  made 
out  by  Doctor  Jones  to  John  Russell,  was  remarkable 
for  the  fact  that  all  the  charges  were  for  cures.  There 
were  eight  of  these  charges,  some  of  them  being:  "To 

100 


GLIMPSES  OF  BUSINESS  LIFE 

curing  his  Seruant's  knee,  £l;"  "To  curing  his  mans 
foot,"  4  shillings;  "To  curing  his  daughter's  foot," 
3  shillings;  "  To  curing  his  Sons  sore  Eye,"  3  Shillings. 
Surely  no  man  could  object  to  paying  a  bill  like  that ! 

Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  presented  to  the  estate  of  John 
Lukens  a  bill  whose  greatest  peculiarity  was  that  it 
covered  items  for  three  years,  from  1773  to  1776. 
The  charge  of  a  goldsmith  in  1734  included  a  silver 
thimble  and  topping  another,  making  a  milk  pot, 
"  Soydering  a  Tankard  and  Beading  out  ye  Bruises,"  a 
set  of  Breeches  Buttons,  a  chain  and  strainer  for  Tea 
Pot,  a  Soup  Spoon,  making  and  mending  a  Scizzor 
Chain. 

Unless  the  goldsmith  was  an  exception,  bills  ran 
a  long  time  and  were  very  seldom  paid  hi  full.  Rem- 
nants of  the  charge  remained  for  years. 
\!~  There  were  not  lacking  in  the  city  men  who  felt 
that  training  and  experience  in  London  was  a  great 
recommendation.  In  1746  a  stone  mason  advertised 
thus: 

"At  the  new  Marble  Shop,  at  the  sign  of  the  Mason's 
Arms  in  Arch  Street,  Philadelphia,  are  sold  Chimney- 
Pieces,  Slabs  for  Hearths,  Monuments,  Fonts  for 
Churches,  Tombstones  and  Head-stones,  with  all  sorts 
of  Marble  Work,  by  George  Harrison,  who  serv'd  a 
regular  Apprenticeship  to  that  Business  and  followed 
it  for  several  years  in  London." 

To  this  advertisement  was  appended  an  "N.B." 

"The  said  George  Harrison  was  imploy'd  by  several 
Gentlemen  in  England  as  a  Surveyor,  in  the  Designing, 
Making  Draughts  of,  and  superintending  their  Build- 
ings: and  having  had  very  considerable  Practice  there, 
is  also  desirous  to  serve  any  Gentlemen  in  these  Parts, 
that  may  have  Occasion  for  any  Thing  in  that  Way." 

101 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Those  who  made  out  the  bills  for  goods  sold  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago  and  more  must  have  had 
ample  leisure  as  well  as  a  rich  fund  of  good  humor. 
Thomas  Livezey,  on  June  29,  1764,  sent  to  Thomas 
Wharton  a  message  that  ought  to  have  brought  a 
prompt  remittance,  and  without  any  claim  for  abate- 
ment: 

"Respected  Friend  I've  Sent  thee  bran 
As  Neat  &  Clean  as  any  Man 
I've  took  Great  Pains  for  fear  of  Loss 
to  thee  in  foundering  of  thy  Horse 
It's  ground  With  Bur,  and  Ground  so  nice 
it  Looks  as  if  'twas  bolted  twice 
But  that's  Nomatter  Since  it's  such 
thy  man  can't  ever  feed  tomuch 
I  mean  Can't  founder  it  he  wou'd. 
I've  took  Such  pains  to  Make  it  Good 
Nor  will  it  Ever  Dust  his  Cloaths 
Nor  give  the  Horse  a  Mealy  Nose 
And  further  in  its  praise  I'le  say 
t'will  Never  Make  him  Runaway 
but  if  on  this  alone  he's  fed 
a  Child  may  hold  him  with  a  thread, 
feed  freely  then  Nor  be  in  Doubt 
I'le  send  thee  More  when  this  is  out." 

"It  is  thirty  bushells  I  have  sent  thee,  and  Not- 
withstanding the  Labour  and  Care  I  have  taken  to 
oblige  thee  which  the  bran,  itself  will  testify  to  anyone 
Who  is  a  Judge  I  have  charged  only  15  pr.  bushel — 
Lower  than  Can  Wellbe  afforded;  but  I  shall  not  re- 
gard that  as  it  is  to  a  friend — it  May  appear  to  thee 
perhaps  that  I  have  Said  Rather  tomuch  in  praise  of 
the  bran  yet  upon  Examination  I  think  it  will  appear 
[illegible]  for  if  it  Don't  fully  answer  the  Description  I 
102 


ROBERTS  S    MILL 


HIGH    STREET    MARKET 
(From  the  engraving  by  Birch) 


A    BIT    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

(Camac  Street,  "the  Little  Street  of  Clubs") 


GLIMPSES   OF   BUSINESS   LIFE 

have  Given  it  I  should  Not  be  unwilling  to  make  some 
abatement  in  price — this  from  thy  Most  Respectfull 
&  Sincere  friend  Thomas  Livezey." 

A  bill  of  another  sort  was  sent  to  Thomas  Wharton 
by  Bryan  O'Hara,  who,  instead  of  talking  of  an  abate- 
ment in  charge,  gave  notice  of  an  increase.  Perhaps 
this  was  due  to  the  troubled  politics  of  the  day,  for  the 
bill  was  sent  in  1774.  It  was  for  "one  year's  Sheaving 
and  dressing  your  Wigs,"  and  the  amount  was 
£2.0.0.  To  the  bill  was  appended  this  note: 

"Sir  I  take  this  method  of  informing  you,  that  I 
think  the  above  too  little  for  doing  your  business  2/sd 
of  my  customers  pays  me  three  pounds  a  year  and  does 
not  get  quite  so  much  done,  for  instance  Messrs  John 
Reyne  &  John  Bringhurst  pays  it,  wou'd  be  much 
obliged  to  you  to  consider  it,  for  the  Ensuing  Year, 
I  am  Sir  your  H'ble  Serv*  BRYAN  O  HARA." 

Elliott  Duncan,  who,  in  1767,  had  a  shop  "nearly 
opposite  Christ  Church,  "  was  as  brief  in  advertising 
his  goods  as  Livezey  was  verbose  in  his  bill.  He  con- 
tented himself  with  stating  that  he  carried  "a  neat  and 
General  Assortment  of  both  Wet  and  Dry  Goods," 
including  Muslin,  Cambrick,  Lawn,  Chintzes,  Poplins, 
Shalloons,  Calicoes,  Calimancoes,  Durants  and  Tas- 
umies,  Oznabrigs,  Sattin,  Peelong,  Figured,  and  Plain 
Scarcenet  and  Modes  Taffaties." 

The  day  book  of  David  Evans  is  exceedingly  in- 
teresting because  of  the  variety  of  his  goods,  the  amount 
of  his  charges,  and  the  character  of  his  customers. 
Here  are  some  sample  items : 

1774,  Sept.  12.  Clement  Biddle,  1  Mahogany  Sofa,  £5. 
1776,  July  20.  United  States  of  America,  161  sets  of 

103 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Tent  Poles  4/6  each.  August  12,  Charles  Thomson, 
a  Reading  Desk  for  Congress,  £1.5. 
November   29.      Making   Benches   for    the    Jew 
Synagogue. 

1777,  Jany  16.  Ornamenting  Brig.  Gen.  Mercer's  Coffin 
with  plate  and  handles  and  attendance  at  funeral, 
£5. 

July  4.  Charles  Thomson,  1  large  writing  Table, 
£2.1.3. 

1778,  Feb.  26.  Lieut.  ^Hoysted  64th  Regt,  making  a 
box  for  camp  equipage. 

1779,  July  14.  Estate  George  Ross,  Esqr.    Mahogany 
Coffin,   inscription  plate,  handles   &  case,   £175 
(continental  currency). 

1781,    May    12.  Library    Company    of    Philadelphia. 

Making  and  Staining  a  frame. 
1781,  July  19.  Capt.  Audubon.     Making  a  house  for 

his  Squirrels. 

1785,  April  4.  State  Lottery.    Making  6  boxes. 

1786,  January  9.  Dr.  Boss,  Making  a  Walnut  Medicine 
Chest.    £5.12. 

April  8.  Ordered  by  Michael  Gratz  small  planed 
boards  on  which  to  make  cakes  for  the  Passover 
for  Jewish  Congregation. 

1787,  May  27.  Made  a  sign  for  a  man  at  corner  Market 
and  Sixth  street — the  sign  of  ye  Greyhound. 
Sept.    4.  Hon.   John   Penn.     Making   a   Walnut 
Coffin  for  Sabina  Francis,  a  servant  of  his  Uncle 
Thomas  Penn,  late  Proprietor,  £6. 

1789,  June  29.  Dr.  Ewing,  Made  a  large  Mahogany 
clock  Case  for  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  £11. 

1790,  December  9.  Philadelphia  County  Commissioners 
-—6  Venetian  Blinds  for  Congress,  with  plain  fronts 
in    Senate    Chamber    and    Committee    Room   in 
County  Court  House,  at  £4.10  each.     9  ditto  for 
Arch  windows  down  stairs  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives of  U.  S.  at  £6  each. 

104 


GLIMPSES  OF  BUSINESS  LIFE 

1791,  October  31.  John  Adams,  Vice  President,  2 
Mahogany  Boards,  to  fix  Chesters,  repairing  Dining 
Table.  £10.0. 

1791,  December  9.  Bank  of  the  United  States.    Making 
a  Clock  case  for  the  Directors  Room,  £4. 

1792,  April  18.  Spanish  Minister.     Repairing  a  Card 
table. 

1796.  United  States  of  America,  making  platform  in 
Congress  Hall  larger  and  hanging  £  Doors,  £3.15. 

1799,  November  9.  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  to  making  1 
Mahogany  Bureau  Table,  £7.1  as  a  compensation 
for  my  son  Evan  Evans'  ticket  of  admission  attend- 
ing his  lectures  for  1798. 

1801,  July  21.  Shipped  on  the  sloop  Highland,  for  Gen. 
Dearborn,  16  Venetian  Blinds  for  the  War  Office, 
Washington,  D.  C.  $9l  pr.  Blind. 

1803,  June  30,  United  States.  6  Venetian  Blinds  for 
the  Captain's  Cabin  of  frigate  Philadelphia.  Capt. 
Bainbridge,  $48. 

It  will  be  seen  that  several  of  the  charges  made 
above  are  for  the  making  of  furniture,  a  craft  for  which 
Philadelphia  was  noted.  Museums  and  private  collec- 
tions testify  today  that  elaborate  and  beautifully  carved 
pieces  were  made  for  the  discriminating  and  appre- 
ciative as  culture  and  worth  increased,  as  well  as  large 
quantities  of  rather  simpler  but  handsome  furniture 
for  those  of  lesser  means  but  equal  taste. 

In  those  days,  too,  architecture  was  accounted  a 
necessary  part  of  a  liberal  education,  and  that  such 
knowledge  was  deeply  grounded  will  be  realized  when  it 
is  remembered  that  the  State  House,  Christ  Church  and 


1  In  November  1800,  John  Inskeep,  who  was  elected  mayor  on 
October  21,  1800,  put  in  operation  in  Philadelphia  the  new  method  of 
computation  in  dollars  and  cents. 

105 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

St.  Peter's  were  all  designed  by  Philadelphia  men  and 
executed  by  its  master-carpenters. 

The  difficulties  of  merchants  during  the  Revolu- 
tion are  illustrated  by  the  experiences  of  J.  Peters, 
as  revealed  in  a  letter  written  to  Francis  Oberlin,  a 
Bethlehem  merchant,  on  August  24,  1779: 

"The  blind  way  of  trade  puts  me  at  a  stand.  I 
cannot  purchase  any  Coffee  without  taking  to  one  bill 
a  tierce  of  Claret  &  sour,  &  at  £6.8  per  gall.  Sugar  I 
may  purchase  at  about  the  limited  price,  &  that  is  the 
only  article  that  can  be  brought.  I  have  been  trying 
day  for  day,  &  never  could  get  a  grain  of  Coffee  so  as 
to  sell  it  at  the  limited  price  these  six  weeks.  It  may 
be  bought,  but  at  about  25/  per  Ib.  Then  it  is  very 
dangerous  to  get  it  out  of  town;  for  the  least  triple  you 
must  produce  your  bill,  &  swear  that  you  have  given 
no  more,  &  made  no  presents,  neither  that  you  intend 
to  make  any  presents  after  you  have  a  certificate  or 
permit.  Some  time  ago  I  might  have  sent  wagons  out 
of  town,  &  never  have  been  stopped,  but  that  time  is 
over.  Should  you  want  sugar,  I  will  buy  for  you,  but 
I  think  you'd  better  wait  till  this  Committee  is  broke. 
It  cannot  last  long,  for  we  must  all  very  soon  shut  up 
stores  and  starve." 

But  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  peace  business 
improved.  One  of  the  evidences  was  the  increased 
demand  for  conveyance.  Quarrier  &  Hunter,  the 
city's  leading  carriage  builders,  had  a  shop  on  Filbert 
Street,  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  Streets.  Not 
only  did  they  have  many  local  patrons,  but  they 
numbered  among  their  customers  the  ministers  of 
France  and  Holland,  as  well  as  officers  of  the  navy  and 
army.  They  were  manufacturers  of  coaches,  chariots, 
chaises,  phaetons,  sulkies,  "sociables."  These  were 

106 


GLIMPSES  OF  BUSINESS  LIFE 

finished  in  olive,  black,  yellow,    drab,    green,  brown, 
or  purple. 

On  the  day  books  of  the  firm  the  following  charges 
were  made: 

1780.  The  French  Minister:  Painting  body  of 
phaeton,  borders,  and  moulding,  cypher  and  flowers; 
painting  Coach. 

John  Adams :  Painting  phaeton  and  coach,  and  three 
cyphers  in  gilt. 

1781.1  tfohn  Adams:  Painting  chair,  phaeton  and 
carriage  and  ornaments. 

1782.  President   of   Congress:    Painting   arms   on 
coach,  cleaning  and  varnishing. 

1783.  Thomas  Jefferson:  Painting  phaeton  green, 
crests  on  the  back. 

Robert  Morris:  Painting  chariot  olive  green,  cheek 
vermilion,  and  gilding. 

Robert  Morris  was  at  the  time  of  this  charge  at 
the  height  of  his  prosperity.  But  a  few  years  later  he 
became  involved  in  financial  difficulties  through  too 
sanguine  investments  in  real  estate.  After  struggling 
for  years  to  extricate  himself  he  was  arrested  for  debt 
on  February  15,  1798.  George  Eddy  made  the  com- 
plaint against  him  that  led  to  the  crisis.  Of  him 
Morris  spoke  in  a  letter  to  a  friend : 

"I  am  here  in  the  custody  of  a  sheriff's  officer. 
George  Eddy  is  the  most  hardened  villain  God  ever 
made.  I  believe  if  I  had  bank  bills  to  pay  him  with  he 
would  refuse  them  on  the  ground  of  their  not  being 
legal  tender. " 

The  next  day  the  writer  was  taken  to  the  debtor's 
apartment  of  the  old  Prune  Street  Prison,  where  he  was 
confined  until  August  26,  1801. 

107 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

But  the  imprisonment  did  not  crush  the  man  to 
whom  the  country  owed  so  much  and  was  repaying 
so  little.  On  March  13,  less  than  a  month  after  his 
arrest,  in  a  letter  to  his  unfortunate  partner,  John 
Nicholson,  after  speaking  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Say,  whose 
notes  to  him  had  not  been  paid,  he  wrote: 

"When  Doctors  of  Physick  instead  of  their  pills 
Become  dealers  in  Paper,  not  Bank  notes  or  Bills, 
Intent  on  their  gains  they  lie  without  fear. 
That  Morris  or  Nicholson  caught  by  the  ear 
Can  by  this  Touch  Stone  on  any  one  day 
Detect  lying  Lusty,  or,  unconscionable,  Say." 

Charles  Henry  Hart  says  of  the  patriot,  who  lay 
for  long  months  in  the  debtors'  prison: 

"The  country  for  whose  independence,  safety  and 
salvation  he  had  pledged  and  given  his  private  fortune 
in  the  hour  of  its  deepest  depression  and  most  desperate 
need,  forgot  him  when  adversity  crowded  upon  him, 
and  neither  by  word,  act,  or  deed,  helped  to  alleviate 
the  burden  of  his  unfortunate  situation.  The  Congress 
which,  without  his  aid,  never  would  have  had  an  exist- 
ence to  hold  a  session,  sat  within  the  shadow  of  his 
prison  walls  but  lifted  not  a  voice  or  a  hand  to  save 
him." 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  in  1798  Washington 
called  on  his  old  associate  in  the  prison,  and  that  when 
Mirs.  Morris  and  her  daughter  were  visiting  in  Virginia 
he  and  Mrs.  Washington  sent  to  them  a  joint  letter 
inviting  them  to  go  to  Mt.  Vernon.  In  this  letter 
they  asked  her  to  "be  assured  we  ever  have  and  still 
do  retain  the  most  affectionate  regard  for  you,  and 
Mr.  Morris  and  the  family." 

On  April  4,  1800,  Congress  passed  the  first  bank- 
ruptcy act  of  the  United  States,  and  on  July  28, 1801, 
108 


GLIMPSES   OF   BUSINESS  LIFE 

a  commission  of  bankruptcy  was  issued,  upon  the 
petition  of  John  H.  Huston,  a  creditor  of  Robert 
Morris.  Four  weeks  later  proof  was  made  of  debts 
amounting  to  $3,000,000.  At  once  Morris  was  released. 
Next  day  he  wrote,  "I  obtained  my  liberty  last  evening, 
and  had  the  inexpressible  satisfaction  to  find  myself 
again  returned  to  my  own  home  and  family." 

Early  in  December  following  the  proceedings  of 
Bankruptcy  were  concluded.  "I  now  find  myself  a 
free  citizen  of  the  United  States,"  he  said,  "without 
one  cent  that  I  can  call  my  own." 

Not  a  stain  rests  on  the  name  of  Robert  Morris. 
He  was  unfortunate  but  he  conducted  himself  through- 
out his  misfortune  in  such  a  way  that  the  honor  in 
which  he  was  held  even  increased.  In  spite  of  his 
failure  for  a  sum  that  was  large  for  those  days  his 
record  adds  to  the  glory  of  Philadelphia  business  fife. 


109 


V 

SOCIAL  LIFE  AND  RECREATIONS 

THE  CHARMING  WOMEN  OF  OLD  PHILADELPHIA — JOSEPH  SHIPPEN'S  TRIBUTE 
TO  SOCIAL  LEADERS — WEAT  A  YOUNG  MAN  REQUIRED  OF  His  SISTER — 
A  MOUSE  IN  HER  NIGHT  CAP — WHY  THE  Kiss  WAS  DISAGREEABLE — 
RULES  OF  THE  DANCE — THE  GOVERNOR'S  PREDICAMENT — THE  CERE- 
MONT  OF  THE  SPOON — THE  JOYS  OF  SLEIGH-RIDING  AND  SERENADING — 
A  DINNER  AT  PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON'S  MANSION 

PHILADELPHIA'S    social    life    has    long    been 
famous  for  its  unusual  combination  of  exclu- 
siveness  and  warmth,  conservatism  and  open- 
mindedness,  self-sufficiency  and  generous  hospitality. 
And  the  women  who  for  generations  have  given  tone 
to  this  social  life  have  helped  to  give  the  city  a  good 
name  and  have  added  to  its  fame. 

Even  early  travelers  and  visitors  spoke  with  en- 
thusiasm of  the  charming  women  of  the  city;  in  fact, 
some  of  them  found  difficulty  in  expressing  their  grati- 
fication and  delight  in  the  presence  of  the  fair  daughters 
of  the  city. 

Witness  William  Black's  extravagant  language,  from 
a  letter  written  in  1744: 

"In  the  Evening  I  made  haste  to  the  Rendezvous 
of  the  Fair,  much  Elated  with  the  Thoughts  of  Spending 
a  few  hours  so  agreeably  as  I  propos'd  in  the  Company 
I  was  going  to  make  one  in:  On  coming  to  the  Place 
I  found  the  Lady  had  been  punctual  to  the  Appoint- 
ment :  I  was  lucky  enough  not  to  be  Engaged  with  any 
more  but  the  young  Lady  of  the  House,  and  her  Ac- 
quaintance my  Favorite;  In  a  very  little  time  I  found 
110 


SOCIAL   LIFE   AND   RECREATIONS 

my  self  alone  with  the  latter.  On  which  to  improve  my 
Acquaintance  and  the  Opportunity,  I  broached  a 
Serious  Discourse  with  her  which  was  not  carried  on 
long  before  I  found  her  a  person  to  whom  Nature  had 
been  as  bountifull  in  Regard  to  her  Mind,  as  I  before 
observ'd  she  had  been  Carefull  of  her  Body;  to  be  short, 
What  with  her  Wit  and  Quickness  of  Expression,  Join'd 
to  the  Influence  of  her  Beauty  and  manner  of  Behaviour, 
I  was  Possess'd  with  a  Pleasure  much  easier  felt  than 
Described,  and  can  only  be  Imagin'd  by  those,  who 
know  what  it  is  to  Enjoy  the  Company  of  a  Woman 
Every  Way  Agreeable." 

On  another  occasion  he  said: 

"  I  am  no  Painter,  Neither  do  I  pretend  to  any  thing 
that  way,  yet  I  cannot  pass  by  this  Lady,  without 
giving  you  a  Rough  Draught  of  her.  I  cannot  say  that 
she  was  a  Regular  Beauty,  but  she  was  such  that  few 
cou'd  find  any  fault  with  what  Dame  Nature  had  done 
for  her.  She  was  of  the  Middle  Size  (which  I  think  is 
the  Stature  that  best  becomes  the  sex),  very  well 
Shap'd:  her  Eyes  were  Black,  full  of  fire,  and  well  Slit, 
they  had  something  in  them  Remarkably  Languishing, 
and  seem'd  to  Speak  the  Softness  of  a  Soul  Replete 
with  Goodness,  her  Eye-brows  black  and  finely  Arch'd, 
her  Nose  was  well  turn'd,  and  of  a  Just  Bigness,  and 
her  Mouth  was  Neither  wide  nor  very  little,  with  Lips 
of  a  fine  Red,  and  when  they  moved  discovered  two 
Rows  of  Teeth  white  as  Ivory  and  Regularly  well  Set; 
her  Forehead  round  and  Smooth,  as  for  her  Hair,  it 
was  a  Shining  black,  but  noways  harsh.  Her  Neck, 
her  Arms,  and  Hands  seem  to  have  been  made  and 
fitted  for  her  Face,  which  was  of  a  Complection  made 
up  of  the  Lilly  and  the  Rose." 

A  quieter  description,  but  one  fully  as  pleasing, 
was  given  by  John  H.  B.  Latrobe,  of  his  mother,  the 

wife  of  Benjamin  H.  Latrobe,  the  architect  of  the 

ill 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Capitol  at  Washington,  and  the  daughter  of  Isaac 
Hazlehurst,  the  partner  of  Robert  Morris.  The  oc- 
casion of  the  description  was  a  social  function  where 
Mrs.  Latrobe  had  attracted  great  attention.  The 
loyal  son  said: 

"She  was  a  very  tall  woman,  five  feet,  eight  inches, 
and  had  always  been  celebrated  for  the  beauty  of  her 
figure.  Her  face  was  in  no  ways  remarkable.  She  had 
been  a  leading  belle  in  Philadelphia,  and  had  the  air  of 
a  woman  of  fashion  of  that  day.  On  this  occasion,  she 
was  dressed  in  white  satin  with  a  long  train,  and  wore  a 
turban  of  spangled  muslin  with  a  gold  crescent,  fasten- 
ing a  heron's  upright  plume." 

But  perhaps  one  of  the  most  pleasing  pictures  of 
some  of  the  belles  of  old  Philadelphia  was  penned  by 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Joseph  Shippen.  After  looking 
at  some  of  the  sparkling  faces  before  him  at  the  Dancing 
Assembly  of  1769  he  wrote,  while  yet  in  the  Assembly 
room: 

"In  lovely  White's  most  pleasing  form, 

What  various  graces  meet! 
How  blest  with  every  striking  charm! 
How  languishingly  sweet! 

"With  just  such  elegance  and  ease 
Fair,  Charming  Swift  appears; 
Thus  Willing,  while  she  lives,  can  please, 
Thus  Polly  Franks  endears. 

"A  female  softness,  manly  sense, 

And  conduct  free  from  art, 
With  every  pleasing  excellence, 

In  Inglis  charm  the  heart. 
112 


SOCIAL   LIFE   AND   RECREATIONS 

"But  see!    Another  fair  advance, 

With  love  commanding  all; 
See!  happy  in  the  sprightly  dance, 
Sweet,  smiling  fair  M'Call. 

"Each  blessing  which  indulgent  Heaven 

On  mortals  can  bestow, 
To  thee  enchanting  maid  is  given, 
Its  masterpiece  below. 

"In  Sally  Coxe's  form  and  face, 

True  index  of  her  mind, 
The  most  exact  of  human  race 
Not  one  defect  can  find. 

"Thy  beauty  every  breast  alarms, 
And  many  a  swain  can  prove 
That  he  who  views  your  conquering  charms, 
Must  soon  submit  to  love. 

"With  either  Chew  such  beauties  dwell 

Such  charms  by  each  are  shared, 
No  critic's  judging  eye  can  tell 
Which  merits  most  regard. 

"  'Tis  far  beyond  the  painter's  skill 

To  set  their  charms  to  view; 
As  far  beyond  the  poet's  quill, 
To  give  the  praise  that's  due." 

Thomas  Willing  Balch,  in  quoting  this  tribute  in 
rhyme  in  his  history  of  the  Philadelphia  Assembly, 
explains  that  the  references  in  the  stanzas  are  to  Mary 
White,  sister  of  Bishop  White,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Robert  Morris;  Alice  Swift;  Abigail  Willing,  daughter 
of  Charles  Willing;  Polly  Franks,  daughter  of  David 
Franks;  Katherine  Inglis,  who  lived  for  fifty  years  on 

113 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Pine  Street,  opposite  St.  Peter's  Church;  Mary  McCall; 
Sally  Coxe,  who  married  Andrew  Allen,  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania;  and 
the  three  oldest  daughters  of  Benjamin  Chew,  Mary, 
Anna  Maria,  and  Elizabeth. 

The  picture  of  a  belle  who  flourished  years  later 
was  given  in  form  far  less  attractive  by  Miss  Margaret 
Gary,  of  Boston.  After  a  visit  to  Woodlands  in  1815 
she  said: 

"But  Molly  Hamilton — I  will  say  it  though  I 
should  have  the  whole  sisterhood  at  my  ears — is  a 
complete  old  maid.  She  is,  however,  a  very  energetic 
character.  After  the  death  of  a  married  sister,  she 
took  upon  herself  the  entire  care  of  her  nieces,  who  are 
now,  I  am  told,  fine  girls.  .  .  .  She  was  very  civil, 
and  pressed  me  to  come  again.  She  goes  out  every 
morning  and  stays  till  three  o'clock,  walks  about 
without  any  regard  to  the  weather,  and  presents  as 
plain  an  appearance  as  one  of  us  going  into  the  garden 
to  pick  peas.  It  rained  all  the  time  we  were  there,  but 
she  used  no  umbrella,  and  seemed  to  defy  the  weather. 
Do  you  think  we  brought  home  any  of  the  beautiful 
flowers  which  were  growing  in  great  abundance?  Not 
a  leaf." 

The  ideas  of  the  day  as  to  what  constituted  charm  in 
a  young  woman  were  sometimes  startling.  In  a  number 
of  The  American  Museum  for  1798  there  is  quoted 
a  letter  which  a  young  man  wrote  to  his  sister  in  1788. 
His  rather  exacting  requirements  were  set  forth  in  the 
stilted  language  of  the  day: 

"Be,  my  dear  girl,  as  assiduous  to  cultivate  your 
understanding,  to  improve  your  mind,  to  acquire  every 
truly  female  and  elegant  accomplishment,  as  you 
would  be,  if  you  had  not  one  single  recommendation 
to  our  favour  besides.  Beauty  of  person  may  catch  us 
114 


SOCIAL  LIFE   AND   RECREATIONS 

at  first;  but  the  beauties  of  the  mind  can  alone  secure 
any  conquest  worth  making.  .  .  .  Neatness  and 
elegance  is  what  you  ought  principally  to  have  in 
view;  everything  beyond  that  must  be  left  in  a  great 
measure  to  your  own  taste,  and  the  fashions  of  the  day, 
which  as  long  as  they  are  not  inconsistent  with  decency, 
ought  in  some  measure  to  be  regarded.  ...  If  a  girl 
devotes  that  time  which  ought  to  be  employed  in  more 
important  concerns  to  the  care  of  her  person,  .  .  . 
she  then  becomes  the  just  object  of  our  ridicule  and 
contempt,  be  her  dress  what  it  will.  But  from  this 
folly,  I  am  confident,  my  lovely  girl  is  secure:  she 
will  always  have  too  just  an  opinion  of  her  own  merit, 
to  think  it  depends  on  those  external  appendages  which 
she  puts  on  and  off  every  day  at  pleasure:  .  .  .  nor 
will  she  ever  forget  that  'True  loveliness  needs  not 
the  foreign  aid  of  ornament,  but  is  when  unadorned, 
adorned  the  most.'  .  .  . 

"I  would  wish  you  possessed  of  undefiled  and  benev- 
olent religion,  which  descends  from  heaven,  and  refines 
and  purifies  the  human  heart  ...  I  would  wish  you 
to  be  unaffectedly  modest,  without  prudery,  chearful, 
easy,  and  forcible,  .  .  .  affable  and  frank,  without 
ever  forgetting  that  delicate  reserve,  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  support  the  dignity  of  your  character,  .  .  . 
well  acquainted  with  books,  without  a  pedantic  display 
of  your  knowledge,  sensible,  without  aiming  at  the 
character  of  a  wit  ...  all  these  blended  and  inter- 
mingled with  that  softness,  that  gentleness,  and  that 
tenderness  peculiar  to  your  sex." 

But  such  a  delineation  of  an  ideal  character  is 
certainly  far  preferable  to  the  sarcastic  "Instruction 
to  Fine  Ladies"  which  a  contributor  sent  to  a  number 
of  the  same  magazine: 

"Let  a  young  lady,  who  is  looking  for  a  husband, 
be  very  careful  not  to  promise  or  deny  any  suitor — it 

115 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

is  vastly  delightful  to  keep  a  company  of  admirers, 
fawning,  flattering,  swearing,  kneeling,  and  so  forth— 
a  blush  is  requisite  now  and  then  to  prevent  any  false 
insinuations  of  those  envious  maidens  who  may  call  you 
a  coquette;  and  dear  sir  may  be  said  once  or  twice  in  the 
day,  to  remove  the  disgusting  title  of  a  prude.  .  .  . 
When  invited  to  a  card  party  you  must  declare  yourself  a 
very  bad  player;  .  .  .  should  they  be  very  cross  to  you 
during  the  evening  effect  a  laugh  now  and  then;  .  .  . 

"If  kind  nature  has  bestowed  its  enchanting  gift  of 
voice,  and  that  you  can  sing  prettily,  you  may  assume 
some  airs — let  the  company  press  till  they  are  almost 
weary,  and  whenever  it  is  affirmed  by  any  person  that 
you  can  sing  you  may  insist  upon  it  that  you  cannot— 
this  is  a  great  proof  of  good  manners. 

"If  nature  has  denied  you  that  harmonious  gift, 
never  give  the  company  the  trouble  of  asking  twice.  .  .  . 

"Are  you  to  see  your  lover?  never  take  notice  of 
him.  Speak  to  every  gentleman  but  him.  .  .  . 

"To  go  to  church  every  Sunday  morning  and  even- 
ing, is  very  necessary:  to  old  ladies  and  gentlemen  it 
conveys  good  ideas  ... 

"It  is  necessary  that  you  get  by  heart  a  few  lines 
of  poetry,  out  of  Pope  or  Dryden,  to  introduce  upon 
any  subject  ...  it  will  convince  the  company  that 
you  have  read  these  fine  bards." 

In  the  effort  to  make  themselves  attractive,  the 
belles  of  the  city,  in  the  days  following  the  Revolution, 
imitated  the  women  of  France  in  their  method  of  fixing 
their  hair.  Timothy  Pickering  in  a  letter  to  his  wife 
written  about  1778,  told  of  what  seemed  to  him  a 
great  enormity: 

"I  mentioned  to  you  the  enormous  head-dresses  of 
the  ladies  here.     The  more  I  see,  the  more  I  am  dis- 
pleased with  them.     'Tis  surprising  how  they  fix  such 
loads  of  trumpery  on  their  polls;  and  not  less  so  that 
116 


SOCIAL  LIFE  AND  RECREATIONS 

they  are  by  any  one  deemed  ornamental.  The  Whig 
ladies  seem  as  fond  of  them  as  others.  I  am  told  by  a 
French  gentleman  they  are  in  the  true  French  taste, 
only  that  they  want  a  very  few  long  feathers.  The 
married  ladies,  however,  are  not  all  infected.  One  of 
the  handsomest  (General  Mifflin's  lady)  I  have  seen  in 
the  State  does  not  dress  her  head  higher  than  was 
common  in  Salem  a  year  ago.  But  you  know,  my  dear, 
I  have  odd,  old  fashioned  notions.  Neither  powder 
nor  pomatum  has  touched  my  head  this  twelve  month, 
not  even  to  cover  my  baldness.  The  latter  I  find  a 
very  common  thing,  now  men  have  left  off  their  wigs." 

In  like  manner  John  H.  B.  Latrobe,  in  1796,  told 
of  the  ladies  of  his  day  who  on  their  heads  built  up 
magnificent  structures,  works  of  art,  which  could  not 
be  done  away  with,  but  remained  so  built  for  some  time, 
with  dire  results  in  some  cases,  as,  for  instance,  when 
a  mouse  got  into  the  nightcap  of  one  belle,  giving 
her  a  dreadful  fright.  Evidently  the  mouse  was  attracted 
by  the  pomatum  used  in  building  the  headdress. 

It  is  hardly  fair  to  say  that  the  custom  of  having 
such  stately  headdresses  was  due  entirely  to  French 
influence,  for  in  1773  Sarah  Eve  wrote: 

"In  the  morning  Dr.  Shippen  came  to  see  us.  What 
a  pity  it  is  that  the  Doctor  is  so  fond  of  kissing;  he  really 
would  be  much  more  agreeable  if  he  were  less  fond. 
One  hates  to  be  always  kissed,  especially  as  it  is  attended 
with  so  many  inconveniences,  it  decomposes  the  econ- 
omy of  one's  hankerchief,  it  disorders  one's  high  Roll, 
and  it  ruffles  the  serenity  of  one's  countenance;  in  short 
the  Doctor  or  a  sociable  kiss  is  many  times  worse  than 
a  formal  salute  with  bowing  and  curtseying  to  'this  is 
Mr.  Such-an-one  and  this  Miss  What-do-you-call-her.' 
'Tis  true  this  confuses  one  no  little  but  one  gets  the 
better  of  that,  sooner  than  to  readjust  one's  dress." 

117 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

But  long  before  the  days  of  Sarah  Eve  there  was 
earnest  discussion  in  and  around  Philadelphia  as  to  the 
evil  of  just  such  adornments  as  were  disarranged  by 
Dr.  Shippen's  polite  salutes.  In  1726  the  Friends  in 
Burlington,  New  Jersey,  sent  to  the  "Women  ffriends" 
a  communication  on  the  evils  of  overadornment  of 
which  copies  reached  women  in  Philadelphia.  And 
this  is  the  earnest  appeal  they  read : 

"A  weighty  concern  Coming  upon  many  faithfull 
ffriends  at  the  Meeting  in  relation  to  dress  undue 
Liberties  that  are  too  frequently  taken  by  some  that 
Walk  among  us  and  are  accounted  of  us.  We  are 
willing  in  the  pure  love  of  Truth  which  hath  mercifully 
visited  our  souls  Tenderly  to  Caution  and  to  advise  our 
ffriends  against  these  things  which  wee  think  incon- 
sistent with  our  Ancient  Christian  Testimony  of  plain- 
ness in  Apparel  &c.  Some  of  which  we  think  proper  to 
particularize. 

"As  first  that  immodest  fashion  of  hooped  Petty- 
coats  or  the  imitation  of  them  either  by  something  put  in 
to  their  petticoats  to  make  them  set  full  or  wearing 
more  than  is  necessary  or  any  other  imitations  what- 
soever which  was  taken  to  be  but  a  Branch  springing 
from  the  same  corrupt  Root  of  Pride.  And  also  that 
none  of  our  ffriends  accustom  themselves  to  wear  their 
Gowns  with  superfluous  folds  behind  but  plain  and 
decent  nor  to  go  without  Aprons  nor  to  wear  super- 
fluous Gathers  or  Pleats  in  the  Cap  or  pinners  nor  to 
wear  their  Heads  dressed  High  behind  neither  to  cut 
or  lay  their  hair  on  the  fforeheads  or  Temples. 

"And  that  ffriends  are  carefull  to  avoid  Wearing  of 
stript  shoes  or  red  or  white  heeled  shoes  or  Clogs  or 
shoes  trimmed  with  gawdy  colors  .  .  . 

"And  also  that  ffriends  do  not  accustom  themselves 
to  go  with  bare  Neck." 
118 


ROBERT    MORRIS 


MRS.    ROBERT    MORRIS 
(From  the  painting  by  Charles  W.  Peale,  in  Independence  Hall) 


SOCIAL  LIFE   AND   RECREATIONS 

It  is  a  question  if  some  of  the  men  did  not  set  the 
example  of  such  headdresses  as  the  "ffriends"  depre- 
cated. At  any  rate  Sarah  Eve,  in  her  Journal  on  March 
12,  1773,  recorded  with  displeasure  her  observation 
concerning  the  hair  dressing  of  a  famous  minister: 

"I  never  once  thought  before  I  heard  Mr.  Clifford 
mention  it  why  such  an  exemplary  man  as  Mr.  Duche 
[Rev.  Jacob  Duche,  senior  assistant  minister  of  Christ 
Church  and  St.  Peter's]  should  sit  every  day  and  have 
his  hair  curl'd  and  powder'd  by  a  barber.  Since,  I 
have  thought  about  it  greatly,  and  would  like  to  have 
his  sentiments  on  this  subject.  But,  my  dear  Ma'am, 
What  would  a  Parson  be  without  powder,  it  is  as  nec- 
essary to  him  as  to  a  soldier,  for  it  gives  a  more  signifi- 
cant shake  to  his  head,  and  is  as  priming  to  his  words 
and  looks.  As  to  having  his  hair  curled,  he  perhaps 
thinks  it  of  little  consequence,  since  curled  or  uncurled 
locks  will  turn  to  gray,  or  perhaps  he  may  look  upon 
it  as  more  humiliating  to  wear  his  own  hair  than  a 
wig,  as  then  his  head  must  serve  as  a  block  on  which 
the  barber  must  dress  it." 

If  Mr.  Duche"  had  not  been  a  clergyman  he  would 
probably  have  been  called  a  macaroni,  for  this  was  the 
term  applied  to  the  dandies  of  the  days  before  the 
Revolution.  Miss  Eve  refers  to  this  term  in  another 
part  of  her  Journal.  Her  father  was  in  business  in 
Jamaica.  The  family  longed  for  news  of  him,  and  when, 
in  January,  1773,  Dr.  Curry  reached  Philadelphia 
from  Jamaica,  they  were  angered  and  hurt  because 
three  days  passed  without  a  message  or  a  call.  Miss 
Eve  resolved  not  to  forgive  his  slight,  until  she  learned 
that  "he  had  entertained  so  high  an  idea  of  our  quality, 
that  the  poor  Doctor  thought  his  cloathes  were  not 
good  enough  to  wait  upon  us  in,  therefore  delayed  the 

119 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

visit  until  he  gets  fitted  up  in  the  'Macaronia'  taste, 
I  suppose." 

The  strange  name  "Macaroni"  came  to  be  applied 
to  dandies  when  a  company  of  young  men,  during 
the  reign  of  George  III,  after  their  return  from  a  tour 
in  Italy,  founded  a  club  which  they  called  "The  Mac- 
aroni." They  had  many  fads,  but  one  of  the  most 
pronounced  was  an  extreme  modishness  in  dress.  Nat- 
urally, then,  a  dude  came  to  be  known  as  a  "Macaroni." 
One  of  the  popular  songs  of  the  day  employed  the 
term: 

"Ye  belles  and  beaux  of  London  town, 

Come  listen  to  my  ditty; 
The  muse  in  prancing  up  and  down 
Has  found  out  something  pretty. 
With  little  hat,  and  hair  dress 'd  high, 

And  whip  to  ride  a  pony; 
If  you  but  take  a  right  survey, 
Denotes  a  macaroni. 

"Along  the  street  to  see  them  walk, 

With  tail  of  monstrous  size,  sir, 
You'll  often  hear  the  graver  ones  talk, 

And  wish  their  sons  were  wiser. 
With  consequence  they  strut  and  grin, 

And  fool  away  their  money: 
Advice  they  care  for  not  a  pin — 

Ay — that's  a  macaroni. 

"Five  pounds  of  hair  they  wear  behind, 

The  ladies  to  delight,  O; 
Their  senses  give  unto  the  wind, 

To  make  themselves  a  fright,  O; 
This  fashion  who  does  e'er  pursue, 

I  think  a  simple-tony; 
For  he's  a  fool,  say  what  you  will, 

Who  is  a  Macaroni." 
120 


SOCIAL  LIFE   AND   RECREATIQNS 

Another  instance  of  the  use  of  the  word  is  the 
familiar  one  in  Yankee  Doodle: 

"Yankee  Doodle  came  to  town, 

A-riding  on  a  pony, 
Stuck  a  feather  in  his  cap, 
And  called  it  Macaroni." 

Both  the  belles  and  the  beaux  of  early  Philadelphia 
were  devoted  to  the  annual  Assemblies,  a  distinctively 
Philadelphian  institution.  They  date  from  1748  and 
are  still  making  social  history. 

Among  the  subscribers  to  the  first  assembly  was 
Charles  Willing,  the  mayor  of  the  city,  who  married 
Ann  Shippen,  daughter  of  Edward  Shippen,  and  of 
whom  Dr.  William  Smith,  Provost  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  later  wrote  an  extremely  compli- 
mentary epitaph: 

"If  to  be  all  the  wise  and  good  commend, 
The  tender  husband,  father  and  the  friend; 

At  home  beloved  and  blest,  esteemed  abroad, 
Studious  to  serve  mankind,  and  please  his  God; 

If  this  from  death  one  useful  life  could  save, 

Thou  hadst  not  read  that  Willing  fills  this  grave." 

The  rules  for  the  regulation  of  the  first  Assembly 
were  made  known  with  great  care.  Some  of  them  were : 

"  1.  The  Assembly  to  be  held  every  Thursday  Night 
from  the  first  Jan'y  1748/9  to  the  first  Day  of  May  in 
every  Year,  and  begin  precisely  at  six  in  the  Evening, 
and  not  by  any  Means  to  exceed  twelve  the  same  Night. 

"2d.  The  Subscribers  consisting  of  Gentlemen  to 
Chuse  by  a  Majority  four  of  their  Number  to  act  as 
Directors  under  whose  Management  the  whole 
Assembly  is  to  be  during  the  Season. 

"3d.  The  Directors  are  to  furnish  the  Ladies  with 

121 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Tickets  for  the  Season,  which  must  admit  only  the 
Lady  whose  Name  is  first  wrote  on  the  ticket  by  one 
of  the  Directors. 

"4th.  On  Application  made  to  the  Directors  by 
any  Subscriber,  for  the  Admission  of  any  Stranger, 
A  Ticket  is  to  be  given  out  for  every  such  Stranger 
particularly  the  Subscriber  who  shall  apply  for  such 
Ticket  paying  immediately  on  the  Delivery  of  it  for 
a  strange  Gentleman  Seven  Shillings  and  six  pence, 
for  a  Lady  nothing." 

A  curious  letter  dated  at  New  Castle,  May  3,  1749, 
addressed  to  Thomas  Penn,  by  Richard  Peters,  told 
of  an  incident  of  the  first  Assembly : 

"By  the  Governors  encouragement  there  has  been 
a  very  handsome  Assembly  near  a  fortnight  at  Andrew 
Hamiltons  House  &  Stores  which  are  tenanted  by  Mr. 
Inglis — make  a  Set  of  good  Rooms  for  such  a  purpose: 
It  consists  of  Eighty  Ladies  and  as  many  Gentlemen, 
one  half  appearing  every  Assembly  night.  Mr.  Inglis 
had  the  Conduct  of  tjie  whole  and  managed  exceeding 
well.  There  happened  a  little  mistake  at  the  beginning 
which  at  some  other  times  might  have  produced  dis- 
turbance. The  Governor  would  have  opened  the 

Assembly  with  Mrs. but  she  refused  him,  I  suppose 

because  he  had  not  been  to  visit  her.    After  Mrs. 

refusal,  two  or  three  Ladies  out  of  modesty  &  from  no 
manner  of  ill  design  excused  themselves  so  that  the 
Governor  was  put  a  little  to  his  Shifts;  when  Mrs. 
Willing  now  Mrs.  Mayoress  in  a  most  genteel  manner 
put  herself  into  his  way  &  on  the  Governor  seeing  this 
instance  of  her  good  nature  he  jumped  at  the  Occasion 
and  they  danced  the  first  Minuet." 

Concerning  the  Assembly  of  1755  an  anecdote  is 
related  in  a  letter  from  "Trent  Town,"  New  Jersey, 
dated  April  18,  1755: 

122 


SOCIAL  LIFE   AND   RECREATIONS 

"The  ancient  King  of  the  Mohawks,  (the  same  who 
was  in  England  in  Queen  Anne's  Time)  came  down 
with  some  of  his  Warriors  this  Winter  to  Philadelphia, 
and  assured  them  of  his  friendship,  though  he  owned 
many  of  the  young  Mohawks  were  gone  over  to  the 
Enemy;  they  were  entertain'd  at  the  Stadthouse  and 
made  their  Appearance  also  among  the  Ladies  on  the 
Assembly  night,  where  they  dance  the  Scalping  Dance 
with  all  its  Horrors,  and  almost  terrified  the  Company 
out  of  their  Wits.  I  must  tell  you  they  brought  with 
them  a  beautiful  young  Lady,  who  in  publick  made  the 
Indian  Compliment,  a  Tender  of  her  Person  to  the 
Governor;  as  gallant  a  Man  as  he  is,  he  was  quite  con- 
founded at  the  Time;  I  know  not  if  he  accepted  her." 

The  Assemblies  were  interrupted  during  the  Revo- 
lution, but  they  were  resumed  in  1786,  and  during 
the  closing  years  of  the  century  they  were  more  brilliant 
than  ever. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  Assembly  patrons  whom  an 
advertiser  in  1810  had  especially  in  mind  when  he 
called  attention  to  his  "Patent  Anatomical  Dancing 
Shoes,"  which  were  described  in  such  glowing  terms 
as  the  following: 

"Corns,  twisted  heels  and  lacerated  insteps  shall  no 
more  agonize  human  nature,  no  more  shall  the  aged 
witness  the  aid  of  a  crutch,  the  middle  aged  shall  walk 
certain  sure  and  easy  step,  the  young  shall  step  as  an 
heart,  and  never  know  their  accumulated  horrors,  this 
shall  deserve  more  of  our  country  than  all  the  celebrated 
corn  plaster  physicians;  .  .  .  the  foot  looses  in  its 
appearance  one  third  of  its  size,  as  to  a  side  view  thereof, 
making  it  to  appear  exceedingly  near." 

The  advertiser  insisted  that  "every  Lady  and 
Gentleman  must  have  a  pair  of  lasts  .  .  .  reserved 
solely  for  their  own  use."  They  would  then  be  asked 

123 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

to  pay  five  dollars  for  each  pair.  The  alluring  bait 
was  held  out,  "No  please  no  pay/' 

Dancing  was  by  no  means  the  most  popular  social 
employment  in  the  city.  Tea-drinking  must  have 
exceeded  it  in  an  immeasurable  degree;  both  men  and 
women  seemed  unable  to  get  through  a  day  without 
tea,  and  no  social  call  was  complete  without  the  cup — 
or  usually  cups — of  the  pleasant  drink.  The  reader 
of  the  Journal  of  Elizabeth  Drinker  smiles  as  he  notes 
the  frequent  references  to  tea.  Sarah  Eve  follows  her 
example.  One  day  she  wrote: 

"In  the  afternoon  Mama  and  I  drank  Tea  at  Capt. 
Stainforth's,  met  a  good  deal  of  Company  there,  among 
therestMajorEdmonson,justreturnedfromtaeIllinois." 

And  again: 

"In  the  afternoon  Anna  and  I  went  out  to  look  for 
some  Calico  for  Mrs.  Smith,  we  were  to  return  immedi- 
ately, but  instead  of  that,  we  staid  and  drank  Tea  with 
Betsy  Guest, — sad  girls,  sad  girls! — but  we  really  could 
not  help  it,  our  cloaks  and  bonnets  were  taken  off  by 
force,  and  locked  up — but  that  was  from  our  desire,  as 
we  found  they  were  determined  to  keep  us,  we  begged 
they  would  secure  them,  which  they  accordingly  did; 
worse  and  worse!  worse  and  worse!  .  .  . 

"In  the  afternoon  we  received  a  formal  invitation 
from  Mrs.  Stretch  to  drink  Tea  with  her  at  her  new 
house,  to  which  Hannah  and  myself  comply'd  with 
cheerfulness.  .  .  .  We  were  much  pleased  with  our 
visit  to  her  new  house,  that  here  one  may  see  elegance 
in  miniature^— I  don't  mean  the  elegance  of  a  palace, 
but  of  simplicity  which  is  preferable — the  one  pleases 
the  eye  but  flatters  vanity,  the  other  pleases  the  judg- 
ment and  cherishes  nature.  As  I  walked  through  this 
home  I  could  not  help  saying  this  surely  might  be  taken 
for  the  habitation  of  Happiness!" 
124 


SOCIAL  LIFE  AND   RECREATIONS 

When  Alexander  Mackraby  visited  the  city  he  was 
much  impressed  with  the  hospitality  of  the  people 
which  showed  itself  so  often  over  the  tea  cup.  On 
March  5,  1768,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Sir  Philip  Francis 
in  which  he  said: 

"I  have  mentioned  before  how  very  agreeable  the 
reception  I  have  met  with  from  your  cousins  here,  more 
particularly  so,  as  it  has  introduced  me  to  that  kind 
of  acquaintance  which  is  the  most  difficult  for  a  stranger 
to  obtain;  but  which  is  at  the  same  time  absolutely  ne- 
cessary to  his  comfort,  where  there  are  no  public  places 
of  diversions;  I  mean  that  of  a  few  agreeable  families 
for  a  dish  of  tea,  and  a  dish  of  chat,  without  ceremony." 

In  1782  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  took  the  Prince 
de  Broglie  to  call  on  Mrs.  Robert  Morris.  The  record 
of  the  visit  is  delightful: 

"The  house  is  simple  but  well  furnished  and  very 
neat.  The  doors  and  tables  are  of  superb  mahogany 
and  polished.  The  locks  and  hinges  in  brass  curiously 
bright.  The  porcelain  cups  were  arranged  with  great 
precision.  The  mistress  of  the  house  had  an  agreeable 
expression  and  was  dressed  altogether  in  white;  in 
fact,  everything  appeared  charming  to  me.  I  partook 
of  most  excellent  tea,  and  I  should  be  even  now  still 
drinking  it,  I  believe,  if  the  ambassador  had  not 
charitably  notified  me  at  the  twelfth  cup  that  I  must 
put  my  spoon  across  it  when  I  wished  to  finish  with 
this  sort  of  warm  water.  He  said  to  me:  it  is  almost  as 
ill-bred  to  refuse  a  cup  of  tea  when  it  is  offered  to  you, 
as  it  would  be  indiscreet  for  the  mistress  of  the  house 
to  propose  a  fresh  one,  when  the  ceremony  of  the  spoon 
has  notified  her  that  we  no  longer  wish  to  partake  of  it." 

Another  French  visitor,  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux, 
noted  not  only  the  tea-drinking,  but  other  forms  of 

diversion : 

125 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"In  the  afternoon  we  drank  tea  with  Miss  Shippen. 
This  was  the  first  time,  since  my  arrival  in  America, 
that  I  have  seen  music  introduced  into  society,  and 
mix  with  its  amusements.  Miss  Rutledge  played  on 
the  harpsichord,  and  played  very  well.  Miss  Shippen 
sang  with  timidity,  but  with  a  pretty  voice.  Mr. 
Ottaw,  secretary  to  M.  de  la  Luzerne,  sent  for  his 
harp:  he  accompanied  Miss  Shippen  and  played 
several  pieces.  Music  naturally  leads  to  dancing;  the 
Vicomte  de  Noailles  took  down  a  violin,  which  was 
mounted  with  harp  strings,  and  he  made  the  young 
ladies  dance,  whilst  their  Mother,  and  other  grave 
personages,  chatted  in  another  room." 

In  1769  a  visitor  to  the  city  told  of  a  very  popular 
diversion : 

"Seven  sleighs  with  two  ladies  and  two  men  in 
each,  preceded  by  fiddlers  on  horseback,  set  out 
together  upon  a  snow  of  about  a  foot  deep  on  the  roads, 
to  a  public  house  a  few  miles  from  town,  where  we 
danced,  sung,  and  romped  and  eat  and  drank,  and 
kicked  away  care  from  morning  till  night,  and  finished 
our  frolic  in  two  or  three  side-boxes  at  the  play." 

Serenading  also  was  popular.  A  man  in  a  letter 
to  his  sister  tells  of  the  pleasures  of  an  evening  devoted 
to  this  amusement,  and  also  tells  of  other  diversions: 

"We,  with  four  or  five  young  officers  of  the  regi- 
ment in  barracks,  .  .  .  about  midnight  sally  forth, 
attended  by  the  band,  .  .  .  and  play  under  the 
window  of  any  lady  you  choose  to  distinguish;  which 
they  esteem  a  high  compliment.  In  about  an  hour 
all  the  blackguards  who  sleep  upon  bulks,  .  .  .  are 
collected  round,  .  .  .  and  altogether  make  it  extremely 
agreeable  on  a  fine  frosty  morning.  .  .  .  We  have  no 
plays  or  public  diversions  of  any  kind;  not  so  much  as 
a  walk  for  the  ladies,  that  there  is  no  opportunity  of 
126 


SOCIAL  LIFE  AND  RECREATIONS 

seeing  them  but  at  church,  or  their  own  houses,  or 
once  a  fortnight  at  the  assembly.  I  have  been  to  some 
of  their  assemblies,  and  have  danced  once  with  a  charm- 
ing girl,  a  cousin  of  yours;  but  you  never  saw  her,  nor 
in  all  likelihood  ever  will.  I  shall  therefore  only  tell 
you  I  was  very  happy,  and  very  much  envied." 

Fortunately  there  have  been  preserved  for  us  a 
few  pictures  of  life  in  some  of  the  hospitable  homes 
for  which  the  city  was  famous.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler, 
after  visiting  William  Hamilton  at  Woodlands,  in  1803, 
wrote  his  impressions: 

"We  .  .  .  arrived  about  an  hour  before  sun-set. 
This  seat  is  on  an  eminence  which  forms  on  its  summit 
an  extended  plain,  at  the  junction  of  two  large  rivers. 
Near  the  point  of  land  a  superb,  but  ancient  house  is 
situated.  In  the  front,  .  .  .  is  a  piazza  supported  on 
large  pillars,  and  furnished  with  chairs  and  sofas  like 
an  elegant  room.  .  .  .  We  then  walked  over  the 
pleasure  grounds,  in  front,  and  a  little  back  of  the  house. 
It  is  formed  into  walks,  .  .  .  with  borders  of  flower- 
ing shrubs  and  trees.  Between  are  lawns  of  green 
grass,  frequently  mowed,  and  at  different  distances 
numerous  copse  of  the  native  trees,  interspersed  with 
artificial  groves,  which  are  of  trees  collected  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  .  .  .  The  green  houses  which 
occupy  a  large  space  of  ground,  I  cannot  pretend  to 
describe.  Every  part  was  crowded  with  trees  and 
plants,  from  the  hot  climates.  .  .  . 
•>*  "...  We  retired  to  the  house.  The  table  was 
spread  and  tea  was  served.  .  .  .  Between  ten  and 
eleven,  an  elegant  table  was  spread,  with,  I  believe, 
not  less  than  twenty  covers.  ...  At  one,  we  retired 
to  bed.  ...  In  the  morning,  as  we  had  informed  him 
we  must  do,  we  rose  as  soon  as  daylight  appeared. 
When  we  came  down  we  found  him  up  and  the  servants 
getting  breakfast.  We  assured  him  we  must  be  excused, 

127 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

for  the  stage  would  leave  us,  if  we  were  not  in  season, 
and  the  passengers  would  breakfast  at  Chester.  .  .  . 
At  parting  with  our  hospitable  friend,  he  extorted 
from  us  ...  a  promise  never  to  pass  again  without 
calling." 

President  and  Mrs.  Washington  were  the  social 
lions  of  Philadelphia.  Their  simple,  gracious  manners 
made  them  welcome  guests  wherever  they  went.  At 
first  they  were  at  the  house  of  Robert  Morris,  as  appears 
from  a  letter  written  by  the  host  on  June  25,  1787: 

"General  Washington  is  now  our  guest,  having 
taken  up  his  abode  at  my  house  during  the  time  he  is 
to  remain  in  this  city.  He  is  President  of  a  convention 
of  Delegates  from  the  Thirteen  States  of  America,  who 
have  met  here  for  the  purpose  of  revising,  amending, 
and  altering  the  Federal  Government." 

During  his  service  as  President  Washington  lived 
in  a  handsome  house  where  he  entertained  lavishly. 
Of  one  of  his  dinners  Theophilus  Bradbury,  of  Essex 
County,  Massachusetts,  wrote: 

"Last  Thursday  I  had  the  honor  of  dining  with  the 
President,  in  company  with  the  Vice-President,  the 
Senators  and  Delegates  of  Massachusetts,  and  some 
other  members  of  Congress,  about  20  in  all.  In  the 
middle  of  the  table  was  placed  a  piece  of  table  furniture 
about  six  feet  long  and  two  feet  wide,  rounded  at  the 
ends.  It  was  either  of  wood  gilded,  or  polished  metal, 
raised  only  about  an  inch,  with  a  silver  rim  round  it 
like  that  round  a  tea  board;  in  the  centre  was  a  pedestal 
of  plaster  of  Paris  with  images  upon  it,  and  on  each 
end  figures,  male  and  female,  of  the  same.  It  ^  was 
very  elegant  and  used  for  ornament  only.  The  dishes 
were  placed  all  around,  and  there  was  an  elegant 
variety  of  roast  beef,  veal,  turkeys,  ducks,  fowls,  hams, 
&c.;  puddings,  jellies,  oranges,  apples,  nuts,  almonds, 
128 


SOFT    BROCADE    GOWN,    LOOPED    BACK    OVER    A    SATIN    PETTICOAT 
(Brought  from  England  to  the  Barbados  in  1685) 


MARTHA  WASHINGTON  WEARING  THE  CAP  CALLED 

"THE  QUEEN'S  NIGHT  CAP" 


BISHOP    WILLIAM    WHITE 
(From  the  portrait  by  Charles  W.  Peale  in  Independence  Hall) 


PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON'S  COACH 


SOCIAL  LIFE   AND   RECREATIONS 

figs,  raisins,  and  a  variety  of  wines  and  punch.  We 
took  our  leave  at  six,  more  than  an  hour  after  the 
candles  were  introduced.  No  lady  but  Mrs.  Washington 
dined  with  us.  We  were  waited  on  by  four  or  five 
men  servants  dressed  in  livery." 

The  farewell  dinner  given  by  Washington  was  an 
event  that  made  a  deep  impression.  Concerning  the 
President's  reception  of  his  guests  that  day  an  eye- 
witness wrote: 

"Washington  received  his  guests,  standing  between 
the  windows  in  his  back  dining-room.  The  company, 
entering  a  front  room  and  passing  through  an  unfolding 
door,  made  their  salutations  to  the  President,  and 
turning  off,  stood  on  one  side.  His  manner  was  courte- 
ous, of  course,  but  always  on  these  occasions  somewhat 
reserved.  He  did  not  give  his  hand,  but  merely  bowed, 
which  was  the  mode  for  that  day.  Mr.  Morris  came 
in,  and  when  the  President  saw  him  entering  the  room, 
he  advanced  to  meet  him,  and  shook  him  heartily  by 
the  hand:  Mr.  Morris,  in  allusion  partly,  perhaps,  to 
the  day  which  may  have  been  cloudy,  but  more  to  the 
event,  repeating  as  he  came  forward  the  lines:— 

'The  day  is  overcast,  the  morning  lowers, 
And  heavily  in  clouds  brings  on  the  day — 
The  great,  the  important  day.'" 

After  that  day  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Washington  ceased 
to  be  social  factors  in  Philadelphia,  but  their  home 
life  and  their  hospitality  became  a  part  of  the  social 
traditions  of  the  city. 


129 


VI 

MORE  WAYS  OF  COLONIAL  DAYS 

THE  LIBERALITY  OF  THE  POOR — "SOMETHING  PRETTY"  WANTED  BY  AN 
ALMSHOTJSE  INMATE — No  HAYSTACKS  ALLOWED  IN  MULBERRY  STREET 
— CUT  SILVER  AND  GOOD-NATURED  "PRETTY  CREATURES"  IN  THE 
MARKETS — AN  ENTHUSIAST  IN  DYES — THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  STREET 
PAVING — STEPHEN  GIRARD  TO  THE  RESCUE — SLAVERY  AND  SLAVERS 

IT  is  a  characteristic  of  many  of  those  who  are 
themselves  struggling  with  trying  conditions 
to  be  thoughtful  of  the  needs  of  others.  Those 
who  give  most  liberally,  according  to  their  means, 
are  not  as  a  rule  the  rich,  nor  even  those  who  have  an 
average  amount  of  property,  but  those  who,  knowing 
what  poverty  is,  are  able  to  sympathize  with  others 
in  want. 

So  it  proved  in  colonial  days.  The  very  fact  that 
life  was  a  struggle  with  untoward  conditions  opened 
the  purse  strings  of  more  fortunate  citizens  to  supply 
wants  of  their  neighbors.  They  did  not  take  so  much 
time  to  ask  the  question,  "Who  is  my  neighbor?" 
that  they  delayed  help  until  it  was  too  late. 

In  the  records  of  the  eighteenth  century  there  are 
many  hints  of  this  widespread  spirit  of  charity.  There 
was  much  private  giving  and  there  was  also  public 
provision  for  caring  for  the  unfortunate. 

Not  long  after  Braddock's  defeat  William  Plumstead 

sent  a  letter  to  the  Overseer  of  the  Poor  calling  attention 

to  the  fact  that  "there  is  several  wife's  and  widdows 

I  understand  in  town  whose  husbands  are  wounded  or 

130 


MORE   WAYS   OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

killed  in  the  late  defeat,  they  are  destitute  of  all  neces- 
sarys  and  many  unable  to  support  themselves  & 
children."  An  appropriation  to  relieve  the  distress 
thus  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  authorities  was 
soon  made,  probably  at  the  .suggestion  of  Benjamin 
Franklin. 

Stephen  Girard,  one  of  the  most  generous  men  in 
the  city,  was  a  leader  in  organized  charitable  work 
of  many  kinds.  One  of  his  favorite  charities  was 
naturally,  the  "Society  Formed  for  the  Relief  of  Poor 
and  Distressed  Masters  of  Ships,  Their  Widows  and 
Children."  The  organization  began  its  long  and  helpful 
history  on  July  4, 1765,  and  is  still  at  work.  Its  object 
was  stated  in  the  following  terms: 

"Charity  not  only  desires  the  happiness  of  man- 
kind, rejoices  at  their  prosperity,  grieves  at  their 
adversity,  but,  being  an  active  virtue,  it  prompts  the 
mind  to  form  with  prudence  and  execute  with  vigor 
that  plan  that  bids  fairest  for  a  happy  attainment  of 
the  most  generous  and  benevolent  ends.  To  relieve 
our  fellow-creatures  in  distress,  and  promote  their 
welfare,  is  a  most  beneficent  work,  but  few  even  of 
the  most  distinguished  abilities  can  act  in  this  respect 
beyond  the  limits  of  a  narrow  sphere.  Numerous  wants 
are  neither  readily  nor  easily  supplied;  hence,  individ- 
uals, unequal  of  themselves  apart  to  the  noble  task, 
combine  together  in  societies,  gain  strength  by  their 
adherence,  and  stretch  the  hand  of  charity  to  a  more 
extended  distance." 

Naturally  some  of  those  who  depended  on  the  aid 
given  by  others  provided  diversion  for  exasperated 
agents  of  beneficence.  It  is  not  likely  that  any  modern 
relief  worker  can  find  a  plea  that  for  unadulterated 
"gall"  goes  ahead  of  the  complaint  of  a  pauper  which 

131 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

led  to  the  writing  of  the  following  letter  to  the  Overseers 
of  the  Poor: 

"Mary  Harriot  alledging  to  us  That  altho  she  is 
very  thankful  that  herself  and  Daughter  are  so  well 
provided  with  all  the  Neeessarys  of  Life,  and  in  so 
plentiful  a  manner,  Yet,  as  they  were  both  brought  up 
in  a  delicate  way,  begs  leave  to  Assure  us,  that  the 
Provisions  of  the  Almshouse  are  generally  too  gross 
for  their  nice  Stomachs,  and  especially  at  Breakfast, 
and  Supper  Times;  neither  is  the  care  taken  to  provide 
any  thing  pretty  for  them,  to  sup,  in  the  Afternoons; 
they  therefore  beg  the  favour  of  us  to  desire  you  to 
take  this  Important  Affair  into  your  serious  considera- 
tion and  if  you  find  the  Case  fairly  Represented,  you 
may  allow  them  Tea,  Coffee,  Chocolate  or  any  thing 
else  that  you  verily  believe  will  be  more  agreeable  to 
their  palates." 

The  plea  of  another  poverty-stricken  individual 
was  somewhat  different,  but  the  reader  is  apt  to  have 
even  less  patience  with  his  arguments  in  favor  of  a 
sort  of  relief  that  would  be  of  doubtful  value  not  only 
to  himself  but  to  others.  In  a  petition  "To  the  Wor- 
shipful Mayor,  Recorder,  and  Aldermen  of  the  City 
of  Philadelphia,"  William  DeWees  "respectfully 
sheweth": 

"That  your  Petitioner  is  by  Trade  a  Shoemaker, 
and  that  his  Eyesight  is  so  much  impair'd  that  he  is 
incapable  of  Maintaining  his  Family  by  following  that 
occupation.  That  your  petitioner  hath  taken  the 
Premises  No.  7  Grey's  Alley  between  Second  and  Front 
Street  which  he  now  keeps  as  a  Boarding  house,  but 
finding  the  emolument  arising  therefrom  insufficient 
to  defray  the  expense  of  his  Family  He  is  desirous  of 
obtaining  a  License  to  keep  the  same  as  a  Tavern  by 
which  means  he  hopes  to  obtain  a  sufficient  livelihood." 

132 


MORE    WAYS   OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

One  has  much  more  sympathy  with  the  eighteen 
women  who  made  their  mark,  and  the  one  woman  who 
signed  her  name,  at  the  close  of  a  much  later  petition 
to  the  city  authorities  that  read: 

"Rendered  helpless  by  the  infirmities  of  age — 
enfeebled  by  sickness  or  oppressed  by  the  Cares  of 
Widowhood — have  for  some  years  past,  endeavoured 
to  gain  a  livelihood  for  themselves  and  their  children, 
by  vending  in  the  market  places  fruit,  nuts,  and  other 
small  articles,  more  in  demand  for  the  tables  of  the 
rich,  than  for  those  in  the  middle  walk  of  life. 

"Your  petitioners  were  not  led  to  this  mode  of  life 
from  choice,  but,  being  incapable  of  hard  labour,  they 
have  pursued  it  rather  than  increase  the  burthen  with 
which  private  and  publick  charity  are  already  so 
severely  tasked,  by  casting  themselves  and  their  fam- 
ilies on  the  public  for  support  .  .  . 

"It  would  not  become  your  petitioners  to  direct 
the  manner  in  which  your  benevolent  intention  toward 
them  might  be  accomplished;  but  they  beg  leave  to 
suggest  a  practical  mode  of  alleviating  their  distress, 
with  the  least  possible  infraction  of  the  present  system, 
that  some  particular  and  distinct  stands,  in  or  near 
the  market  house,  should  by  ordinance  be  assigned  to 
them,  for  which  they  should  individually  pay  a  reason- 
able rent;  that  from  those  stands  all  should  be  excluded, 
except  your  petitioners  &  those  who  like  them  labor 
under  the  infirmities  of  age  or  sickness,  or  are  reduced 
by  misfortune  and  have  families  depending  on  them." 

Evidently  some  one  had  complained  of  the  needy 
women  because  they  were  obstructing  the  market 
by  their  appeals  to  the  public  to  buy  their  wares. 

It  is  interesting  to  read  that  similar  pressure  was 
brought  to  bear  on  a  prosperous  citizen  in  1703.  The 
records  of  the  Grand  Jury  for  that  year  show  that 

133 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Alderman  John  Jones  was  presented  for  "encoachment 
on  Mulberry  Street,  by  setting  a  great  Reed  or  hay 
Stack  in  the  said  Street  for  these  two  years  last  past 
&  making  a  close  fence  about  ye  same." 

During  the  same  year  a  number  of  citizens  asked 
the  General  Assembly  to  take  action  against  neighbors 
who  were  just  as  thoughtless  as  the  proprietor  of  the 
haystack.  They  were  "Desirous  to  Clear  Drain  & 
Make  other  Improvements  on  Meadow  Ground  and 
Marshes  in  the  Neck  (between  Delaware  and  Skoolkill 
below  Philadelphia),"  and  they  were  bothered  by 
straying  swine.  "  Therefore  your  Petitioners  do  humbly 
Desire  That  a  Law  be  Made  either  to  Prohibit  Swine 
to  Run  at  large  in  the  said  Neck  Or  Else  to  Oblige  the 
Owners  of  them  to  Ring  and  Yoke  them  Under  such 
Penalties  as  you  in  Your  Wisdom  shall  see  meet." 

To  see  that  laws  were  obeyed  by  night  as  well  as 
by  day  it  was  the  duty  at  this  time  for  Philadelphia's 
one  night  watchman  to  go  through  the  town  ringing  a 
bell,  crying  out  the  time  of  night  and  the  state  of  the 
weather,  and,  in  case  he  noted  a  fire  or  any  disaster, 
to  inform  the  constable.  In  1704  the  single  watchman 
to  one  constable  became  ten,  and  every  citizen  was 
made  liable  to  serve  his  term  on  watch  or  to  furnish 
a  substitute.  The  first  paid  night  watchmen  were 
not  provided  until  1758. 

The  watchmen  on  their  routes  always  paid  par- 
ticular attention  to  the  market  houses,  in  which  dis- 
orderly persons  were  wont  to  gather.  Those  who 
lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  markets  frequently 
had  bitter  cause  for  complaint  by  reason  of  the  presence 
of  these  disturbers  of  the  peace. 
134 


MORE    WAYS   OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

But  there  was  no  thought  of  doing  away  with  the 
market  houses  that  furnished  lodging  places  for  these 
night  prowlers.  For  the  markets  were  too  important 
a  factor  in  Philadelphia's  life  and  comfort.  ^  They 
dated  from  the  beginning  of  the  city. 

One  of  the  earliest  references  to  these  useful  in- 
stitutions is  in  the  Regulations  adopted  for  the  markets 
in  1693.  This  curious  document  read: 

"That  The  place  ffor  ye  Markett  be  in  ye  High 
Street  where  ye  Second  street  Crosses  it  and  in  no 
other  place  ~ 

"That  ye  Markett  be  kept  There  Two  days  in  y" 
week  weekly  viz  Wednesday  and  Saterday 

"That  all  sorts  of  Provision  brought  to  this  towne 
to  sale,  viz  fflesh,  ffish,  tame  fowl  Eggs  butter  Cheese 
herbs,  ffruits  roots  &c:  shall  be  sold  in  y6  aforesaid 
Markett  place,  and  in  Case  any  of  the  aforesd  Provisions 
should  Come  to  the  Towne  of  Philadelphia  on  other 
days  that  are  not  Markett  days  yett  that  they  be  sold 
in  ye  Market  under  the  Same  Circumstances  regulation 
and  forfitures  as  upon  ye  Days  on  wch  the  Markett  is 
appoynted."  .  -.  ~. 

"That  ye  Markett  begin  and  be  open'd  at  ye  ringing 
of  the  bell,  which  shall  be  Rung  ffrom  the  ffirst  day  of 
ye  gd  Month  Apll  to  ye  ffirst  day  of  7ber  between  the 
Hours  of  Six  and  seven  and  ffrom  ye  ffirst  day  of  7ber 
to  ye  ffirst  day  of  Apll  between  ye  Hours  of  Eight  and 
Nine,  and  in  Case  any  of  the  aforesd  provision  or  any 
sort  of  Marketting  be  sold,  fflesh  Excepted  before  ye 
Ringing  of  ye  bell  unless  it  be  for  his  Excellcey  Goverr 
in  Cheife,  or  L*  Goverr  ye  same  shall  be  forfited  one 
halfe  to  y°  poor  ye  other  to  ye  Clark  of  the  Markett  .  .  . 

"That  no  hucksters  or  persons  to  sell  againe  shall 
buy  or  Cheapen  any  of  the  afore  Mentioned  provision 
until  it  hath  been  two  hours  in  ye  Markett  after  the 
ringing  of  The  bell  .  .  . 

135 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"That  ye  Clark  of  ye  Markett  shall  and  may  Receive 
for  all  Cattle  Kil'd  ffor  ye  Markett  Six  pence  per  head— 
for  Every  sheepe,  Calfe  or  lamb  two  pence  ^  head  for 
Every  hogg  or  Shoat  brought  to  ye  Markett  or  Cutt 
out  fof  saile  there  Three  pence,  and  that  nothing  shall 
be  paid  ffor  what  ye  Country  people  bring  to  Towne 
ready  Kil'd. 

"That  ye  Clark  of  ye  Markett  shal  and  may  receive 
for  sealing  of  weights  and  measures  one  penny  for  Each 
both  great  and  small." 

The  Sealer  of  Measures  was  an  important  officer. 
An  early  notice  concerning  him  was  published  so  that 
no  one  could  have  an  excuse  for  ignorance  of  the  facts : 

"PUBLICK  NOTICE  is  hereby  given,  That  Benjamin 
Morgan  at  the  Still  and  Blue  Ball  in  King-Street, 
Philadelphia,  is  by  the  Mayor  and  Council  of  the  said 
City,  appointed  sole  keeper  of  the  Standard  for  Corn 
Measure,  and  Sizer  and  Sealer  of  Measures,  to  whom 
all  who  want  Measures  ready  Sealed,  or  have  Measures 
to  be  rectify'd,  may  repair,  and  be  well  served,  he  only 
being  duly  authorized  and  qualify 'd  for  that  office." 

In  1786  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  said  that  a  friend 
told  him  how  in  1723  "people  went  to  Market  with 
cut  silver,  those  who  had  it  not  procured  provisions 
by  taking  the  country  people  to  two  Stalls  in  the  Market 
&  giving  their  goods  for  them,  which  goods  were  charg'd 
to  the  Accts  &  paid  for  once  or  twice  a  year." 

William  Black  in  1744  told  of  something  that 
attracted  him  far  more  than  cut  silver  or  charge  ac- 
counts. He  "had  no  small  Satisfaction  in  seeing  the 
pretty  Creatures,  the  young  ladies,  traversing  the 
place  from  Stall  to  Stall  where  they  cou'd  make  the 
best  Market,  some  with  their  maid  behind  them  with 
a  Basket  to  carry  home  the  Purchase,  Others  that  were 

136 


DOCTOR    BENJAMIN   RUSH 
(From  the  portrait  by  Thomas  Sully  in  Independence  Hall) 


ESTHER    DUCHE 
(From  the  painting  by  Thomas  Duch£) 


(1)    A    WEDDING    GOWN,    (2)    A    GOWN    OF    1760,    (3)    A    SUIT    OF    VELVET, 
(4)    A    WATTEAU    GOWN 


EMPIRE    GOWN,    WORN    IN    PHILADELPHIA 
(Original  in  Memorial  Hall,  Fairmount  Park) 


MORE   WAYS  OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

designed  to  buy  but  trifles,  as  a  little  fresh  Butter, 
a  Dish  of  Green  Peas,  or  the  like,  had  Good  Nature 
and  Humility  enough  to  be  their  own  Porters." 

David  Fisher,  an  English  visitor  in  1755,  was  much 
more  practical  in  his  observations.  After  a  careful 
inspection  of  the  market  he  wrote: 

"There  seems  to  be  a  good  supply  of  most  kinds  of 
Provisions  and  a  vast  concourse  of  People,  Buyers  as 
well  as  sellers.  Meat  in  the  Shambles  (some  at  least) 
of  each  sort,  very  good  and  might  well  vie  with  the 
best  in  the  Leadenhall  Market;  Fish  and  Poultry,  the 
market  don't  seem  over  well  supplied  with,  tho'  in  the 
cool  weather  a  fine  sort  of  large  Sea  Pearch  of  about 
six  pounds,  called  the  Sheeps'  Head,  from  its  teeth 
resembling  those  of  a  sheep  .  .  .  Butter  is  quite 
plenty  and  very  good  at  about  8d.  a  pound;  vegetables 
plenty  enough  tho'  not  so  many  good  or  handsome 
Gardens  about  Philadelphia  as  one  might  expect,  and 
with  all  my  enquiry  I  could  not  find  a  Plant  deserving 
the  name  of  Cauliflower." 

So  much  complaint  was  made  that  traffic  inter- 
fered with  the  market  houses — which  stretched  along 
the  middle  of  the  street  for  some  blocks,  with  breaks 
at  the  cross  streets — that  in  July,  1768,  the  Council 
"agreed  that  chains  be  made  and  put  up  across  Market 
Street  and  Second  Street,  about  sixty  feet  from  the 
intersection  of  the  streets,  so  as  to  prevent  carts  and 
other  carriages  passing  thro'  the  market  on  Market 
days,  to  be  taken  down  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning 
in  Summer  and  ten  in  Winter." 

In  early  days  the  markets  were  supplemented  by 
two  fairs  each  year.  The  charter  of  1701  provided  that 
these  fairs  should  be  opened  with  all  due  solemnity. 
The  form  of  the  Proclamation  adopted  ran  as  follows : 

137 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"0  Yes  and  Silence  is  Commanded  while  the  Fair 
proclaiming  upon  Pain  of  Imprisonment. 

"A.  B.  Esq.,  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  doth 
hereby,  in  the  King's  Name  strictly  charge  and  com- 
mand all  persons  trading  and  negotiating  with  this  Fair 
to  keep  the  King's  peace. 

"And  that  no  person  or  persons  whatsoever  pre- 
sume to  set  up  any  Booth  or  Stall  for  the  vending  of 
Strong  Liquors  within  this  Fair. 

"And  that  no  Person  or  Persons  presume  to  bear 
or  carry  any  unlawful  Weapon  to  the  Terrour  or 
Annoyance  of  his  Majesty's  subjects,  or  to  gallop  or 
strain  Horses  within  the  Built  parts  of  this  City. 

"And  if  any  person  shall  receive  Hurt  or  Injury 
from  Another  let  him  repair  to  the  Mayor,  here  present, 
and  his  wrongs  shall  be  redressed. 

"This  Fair  to  continue  Three  Days  and  no  longer. 
God  save  the  King." 

These  semi-annual  fairs  continued  until  the 
Revolution. 

The  people  who  attended  the  fairs  and  markets 
did  not  have  to  purchase  many  of  the  things  that  to-day 
one  feels  must  be  bought;  they  were  independent 
enough  to  make  many  articles  for  themselves.  For  one 
thing  the  housewives  did  their  own  spinning  and  weav- 
ing. And  they  were  much  at  home  in  dyeing  the  prod- 
ucts of  their  own  looms.  Witness  the  interesting 
letter  from  Mrs.  Moore  to  Susanna  Wright,  dated 
in  1771: 

"I  took  the  opportunity  of  sending  .  .  .  some 
samples  of  the  little  success  that  has  attended  my 
attempts  in  the  manufacturing  way  and  particularly 
in  the  art  of  dyeing  .  .  .  a  pr  of  silk  garters  rais'd, 
dyed  and  wove  in  our  own  House,  of  which  I  request 
thy  acceptance  ...  I  must  also  desire  Sammy 
138 


MORE    WAYS  OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

Wright  to  accept  of  a  pair  of  Worsted  of  my  own 
spining  .    .    . 

"Since  my  last  I  have  been  trying  my  Hand  at 
Shades  for  working  with,  and  have  sent  thee  a  sample, 
but  cannot  promise  that  they  will  stand,  they  have 
all  had  several  rincings  in  warm  water,  the  scarlet  (if 
I  may  so  call  it)  and  the  Purple  are  both  dyed  with 
Brazilletto  Salt  Tartar  and  Allum,  a  very  small  matter 
of  pot  Ash  dissolved  in  a  cup  of  Water  changed  the 
scarlet  when  dip'd  in  it  to  a  Purple — some  of  the  same 
colour  wash'd  with  hard  soap  turn'd  to  a  pretty  Crim- 
son— the  yellow  is  dyed  with  Barberry  root,  I  never 
heard  of  its  being  made  use  of  for  this  purpose,  but  as 
I  was  planting  a  Root  of  it  last  Summer  I  observed  it 
to  be  of  a  very  bright  pritty  Yellow,  upon  which  I 
boiFd  some  of  it  with  a  little  Allum,  and  was  much 
pleased  with  the  colour  it  produced,  I  have  sent  thee  a 
few  of  these  Chips,  also  a  small  Phial  of  my  blue  dye- 
two  or  three  drops  in  a  Wine  Glass  of  Water  will  be 
sufficient  for  dyeing  a  small  skein  of  silk  of  a  light 
colour — it  may  be  rinced  out  in  a  few  minutes,  but  if 
its  wanted  dark,  must  stay  in  a  qr  of  an  hour,  I  am  not 
sure  that  this  will  stand  any  more  than  the  rest,  and 
shall  now  give  thee  the  History  of  it — thee  must  know 
the  Ladies  make  use  of  Something  of  this  kind  to  dye 
their  old  White  Ribbons,  shades,  &ct  that  are  soiFd — 
it  is  brought  from  N.  York  and  sold  in  some  of  our 
Shops  here  at  a  great  price,  I  had  seen  some  of  it,  & 
had  a  very  great  inclination  to  know  of  what  it  was 
made,  ('tis  pritty  lucky  for  me  that  I  have  a  Doctors 
shop  so  handy)  I  try'd  almost  everything  I  could  think 
of — at  last  hit  upon  some  Sp*  Salt  or  Vitriol  I'm  not 
sure  which  and  mix'd  it  very  well  with  Prussian  blue 
finely  powder'd,  this  I  found  to  have  exactly  ye  appear- 
ance of  that  I  bought  and  seems  to  answer  the  purpose 
quite  as  well,  it  must  be  carefully  used,  as  a  single 
drop  without  Water  will  eat  a  hole  in  Silk  or  Linnen, 

139 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

but  does  not  seem  to  rot  the  silk  in  the  least  when 
mix'd  with  Water,  after  the  silk  is  dyed  with  this  if 
dip'd  in  the  yellow  it  turns  to  a  beautiful  Green." 

The  housewives  of  colonial  days  were  proud  to  carry 
their  home-dyed  homespun  to  the  fairs  and  markets, 
which  were  popular  meeting  places  for  friends  who  did 
not  have  other  opportunity  to  see  one  another 
frequently. 

Perhaps  the  markets  were  all  the  more  popular 
because  for  a  long  time  they  were  supported  by  vol- 
untary subscriptions.  Later,  however,  the  tax  budget 
included  items  for  their  maintenance. 

Almost  everything  was  done  by  voluntary  sub- 
scription in  those  early  days.  The  pumps  from  which 
water  was  supplied  to  the  citizens  were  erected  by 
private  enterprise.  A  law  of  1713  authorized  one  who 
dug  a  well  and  placed  a  pump  to  charge  the  neighbors 
who  made  use  of  it.  In  1715  an  annual  rent  of  one 
shilling  for  pumps  was  levied  by  the  city  on  the  pump 
holders.  Not  until  1756  were  the  pumps  placed  in 
the  hands  of  a  warden.  He  had  power  to  sink  new 
wells  and  to  buy  up  private  pumps. 

This  public  ownership  was  a  step  in  the  direction 
of  community  fire  protection.  Fire  had  always  been  a 
problem  in  Philadelphia.  As  early  as  1701  chimney 
fires  became  so  frequent  that  an  order  was  provided 
for  fining  anyone  who  allowed  his  chimney  to  catch  on 
fire.  It  was  ordered  also  that  every  householder 
should  keep  a  swab,  at  least  twelve  feet  long,  and  four 
leather  buckets,  which  should  always  be  ready  for  use 
in  case  of  fire.  No  one  was  allowed  to  smoke  tobacco 
in  the  streets  by  day  or  by  night. 

140 


IN    AN    OLD    KITCHEN 


STATE    HOUSE,    WITH    A    VIEW    OF    CHESTNUT    STREET 

(Note  the  typical  wooden  pump) 

(From  an  engraving  by  Birch) 


DILIGENT    FIRE    ENGINE 


MORE   WAYS  OF  COLONIAL  DAYS 

In  1718  the  first  fire  engine  was  bought  for  £50. 
In  1730  three  engines,  two  hundred  leather  buckets, 
twenty  ladders,  and  twenty-five  hooks  with  axes,  were 
secured.  One  of  these  engines  was  made  in  Philadelphia 
but  the  others  came  from  London. 

The  first  volunteer  fire  company  was  organized  in 
1736,  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Benjamin  Franklin. 
Each  member  agreed  to  furnish,  at  his  own  expense, 
six  leather  buckets  and  two  stout  linen  bags.  Each 
bag  was  to  be  marked  with  his  own  name  as  well  as  the 
name  of  the  company.  These  he  was  to  take  to  every 
fire,  for  use  in  holding  property  in  danger  of  destruction. 

The  Fellowship  Fire  Company  followed  in  1738, 
the  Hand  in  Hand  in  1742,  the  Heart  in  Hand  in  1743, 
and  the  Friendship  Fire  Company  in  1747.  Then 
the  rivalry  between  the  companies  which  became  one 
of  the  features  of  Philadelphia's  life,  was  on  in  earnest. 

For  many  years  the  care  of  the  streets  was  as  vol- 
untary as  the  fire  service.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
of  1718  paved  the  streets  at  their  own  charges,  "from 
ye  Kennel  to  the  middle  of  the  streets  before  their 
respective  tenements  with  pebblestones."  But  there 
were  of  course  many  who  refused  to  do  their  part,  so 
an  ordinance  was  passed  compelling  all  property 
owners  to  pave  in  front  of  the  lots  owned  by  them  or 
have  it  done  at  their  expense.  They  were  likewise 
obliged  to  sweep  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  the  property 
every  Friday.  There  was  a  penalty  for  throwing  rub- 
bish or  ashes  into  the  streets.  A  public  scavenger  was 
appointed  to  collect  the  rubbish  and  ashes  once  a  week. 

When  Peter  Kalm  wrote  of  the  city  in  1748  he  said 
of  the  streets: 

141 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"Some  of  them  are  paved,  other  not,  and  it  seems 
less  necessary,  since  the  ground  is  sandy,  and  therefore 
absorbs  the  wet.  But  in  most  of  the  streets  is  a  pave- 
ment of  flags,  a  fathom  or  more  broad,  laid  before  the 
houses  and  posts  put  on  the  outside  three  or  four 
fathoms  asunder." 

Benjamin  Franklin  did  not  like  to  think  of  this  in- 
adequate paving,  much  of  it  being  confined  to  a 
narrow  space  before  the  doors.  In  his  autobiography 
he  wrote: 

"Our  city,  though  laid  out  with  a  beautiful  regu- 
larity, the  streets  large,  straight  and  crossing  each 
other  at  right  angles,  had  the  disgrace  of  suffering  those 
streets  to  remain  long  unpaved,  and  in  wet  weather 
the  wheels  of  heavy  carriages  plowed  them  into  a 
quagmire,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to  cross  them;  and 
in  dry  weather  the  dust  was  offensive." 

When  Franklin  made  up  his  mind  that  something 
was  to  be  done  it  was  not  long  until  the  thing  was  done 
or  at  least  begun.  So  it  was  with  street  paving.  As  he 
himself  wrote : 

"I  had  lived  near  what  was  called  the  Jersey  market, 
and  saw  with  pain  the  inhabitants  wading  in  mud  while 
purchasing  their  provisions.  A  strip  of  ground  down 
the  middle  of  that  market  was  at  length  paved  with 
brick,  so  that,  being  once  in  the  market,  they  had 
firm  footing;  but  they  were  often  over  shoes  in  dirt  to 
get  there.  By  talking  and  writing  on  the  subject  I 
was  at  length  instrumental  in  getting  the  street  paved 
with  stone  between  the  market  and  the  foot  pavement 
that  was  on  the  side  next  to  their  houses." 

But  progress  was  not  rapid.  By  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  not  many  streets  were  paved.  In  1783  a 
petition  went  to  the  Board  of  Street  Commissioners 

142 


MORE    WAYS   OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

from  property  owners  on  "Lombard  Street,  between 
third  and  fourth  streets,"  who  urged  that  they  had 
"chearfully  paid  their  proportion  of  the  street  taxes, 
in  full  confidence,  however,  that  as  soon  as  the  situation 
of  our  public  affairs  would  admit,  they  should  be  re- 
lieved in  the  premises."  They  reminded  the  commis- 
sioners that  "every  other  of  the  east  and  west  Streets 
except  two,  have  been  paved  westward,  as  far  at  least 
as  fifth  street,"  and  that  "these  two  Streets  referred 
to  have  scarcely  any  houses  erected  between  third 
and  fourth  Streets."  They  argued  that  because  "  Street 
is  become  a  public  outlet  to  the  lower  ferries  over 
Schuylkill,  and  from  them  into  the  city,"  the  street 
should  be  paved. 

In  1785  "a  number  of  citizens  who  have  taken  up 
lots  on  Race  Street  above  Fifth  Street"  urged  that 
the  said  street,  for  want  of  pavement,  "became  almost 
impassable  in  Wet  Weather,  and  especially  in  the 
winter  season,  to  the  great  Inconvenience  of  the  Citi- 
zens residing  on  said  Street,  and  frequenting  the  same." 
A  later  plea  was  for  "the  opening  and  repairing  of 
Sassafras  Street,  commonly  called  Race  Street,  and  if 
possible  Vine  Street  also,  from  the  paved  parts  of  the 
city  towards  Schuylkill  until  these  streets  shall  inter- 
sect the  Road  from  Vine  Street  to  the  Bridge"  at  the 
upper  ferry. 

As  late  as  1802  conditions  on  Vine  Street  contin- 
ued unfavorable.  In  January  of  that  year  a  petition 
called  attention  to  the  fact  "that  Vine  Street  from 
First  to  Second  Streets  hath  for  this  long  time  past 
waited  a  new  regulation  and  paving.  That  owing  to 
the  Gutter  or  Water  Course  being  in  the  Middle  and 

148 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

other  causes,  that  part  of  said  Street  especially  in 
Winter  is  rendered  dangerous  for  Carriage  passing 
and  repassing."  It  was  argued  that  "it  is  the  Street 
of  the  Public  as  well  as  the  Street  of  the  Inhabitants 
of  that  part  of  said  Street  that  Vine  Street  should  be  so 
regulated  and  paved  it  being  the  Avenue  or  High  Road 
from  the  Country  to  the  City,  no  Street  being  more 
used  by  Carts  and  Carriages." 

One  of  the  unanswerable  arguments  in  favor  of 
street  paving  and  cleaning  was  the  prevalence  of  epi- 
demics in  the  city,  beginning  with  the  small  pox  of 
1736  and  continuing  to  the  many  yellow  fever  scourges, 
the  worst  of  which  were  in  1793  and  1798. 

The  story  of  the  early  smallpox  scare  was  told 
vividly  by  Margaret  Freame  in  a  letter  to  John  Penn, 
dated  December  10, 1736.  She  wrote: 

"The  Smal-pox  has  and  doth  rage  Very  much  in 
this  Citty,  Numbers  of  Persons  Dying  of  it.  at  last 
Seeing  it  Prove  so  fatal  in  the  Common  way,  that  by  a 
computation  one  dy'd  in  four,  and  not  one  in  fifty  by 
inoculation,  Mr.  Till  concluded  to  have  his  wife  and 
his  2  children,  Mr.  Taylor  his  little  Boy,  and  divers 
others  that  has  succeeded  very  well.  Poor  Tom  had 
it  full,  but  is  now,  I  thank  God  Bravely  recover'd,  they 
are  all  turn'd,  and  most  shell'd  off.  he  begins  to  call 
for  a  Cook  instead  of  a  Doctor  .  .  .  Too  many  in 
this  Citty  are  under  the  same  Affliction;  the  Church 
bell  is  not  suffer'd  to  ring  but  once  for  six  [deaths]  and 
it  has  wrung  twice  a  day  sometimes.  I  hope  the  Cold 
Weather  will  Put  a  Stop  to  this  Contagion." 

Samuel  Breck  told  in  his  Recollections  of  the  yellow 
fever  of  1797  which  "obliged  all  the  citizens  who  could 
remove  to  seek  safety  in  the  country."  His  father 

144 


MORE   WAYS  OF  COLONIAL  DAYS 

took  his  family  to  Bristol.  Mr.  Breck  himself  was  in 
the  city  early  in  September.  "My  business  took  me 
down  to  the  Swedes'  Church  and  up  Front  Street 
to  Walnut  Street  Wharf,  where  I  had  my  country  house," 
he  wrote.  "Every  thing  looked  gloomy,  and  fifty -five 
deaths  were  reported  on  the  9th.  In  the  afternoon 
when  I  was  about  retiring  to  the  country,  I  passed 
by  the  lodging  of  the  Vicomte  deNoailles,  who  had  fled 
from  the  Revolutionists  of  France.  He  .  .  .  asked 
me  what  I  was  doing  in  town.  'Fly,'  said  he,  'as  soon 
as  you  can,  for  pestilence  is  all  around  you. ' : 

A  writer  of  the  day  told  of  the  yellow  fever  as  it 
impressed  him : 

"In  the  beginning  of  August  1793  it  pleased  the 
wise  Disposer  of  human  events,  to  visit  Philadelphia 
with  a  disease,  which  in  many  of  its  symptoms  so  re- 
sembled the  Plague,  that  the  Physicians  were  at  a  loss 
for  a  name,  less  alarming,  to  the  afflicted  citizens  .  . 
It  was  a  time  of  deep  trial,  and  caused  great  searching 
of  heart,  none  knowing  what  instant  the  contagion 
would  reach  them.  Our  friends  and  neighbors  were 
hourly  carried  to  their  silent  habitations,  and  dismay 
so  seized  the  people  that  there  were  but  very  few,  who 
had  sufficient  resolution  to  attend  their  nearest  rela- 
tions, either  during  their  illness,  or  to  their  graves. 
Persons  of  the  first  distinction  were  without  attendance 
except  a  black  man  who  led  the  hearse,  there  were 
none  to  see  that  they  were  decently  committed  to  the 
earth,  and  those  who  possessed  the  means  to  procure 
every  comfort,  suffered  for  want  of  a  glass  of  water. 
There  was  a  serious  desertion  of  parents  from  children, 
children  from  parents,  husbands  from  wives,  and  wives 
from  husbands,  thousands  fled  into  the  country  for 
safety." 

145 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

The  epidemic  was  made  memorable  by  the  heroic 
conduct  of  Stephen  Girard.  When  the  city  was  all  but 
deserted  and  little  attention  was  given  to  the  care  of 
the  sick,  he  was  appointed  one  of  a  committee  to  devise 
means  of  relief.  One  of  the  chief  difficulties  was  that 
the  Bush  Hill  Hospital  was  without  adequate  superin- 
tendence. Two  men,  of  whom  Stephen  Girard  was 
one,  offered  their  services. 

Philadelphians,  who  had  been  reserved  in  their 
treatment  of  the  Frenchman,  were  amazed.  "Before  him 
stood  probable  death  in  its  most  repulsive  form,"  says 
Arey,  in  his  biography  of  Girard.  "  Certain  and  heavy 
losses  were  to  be  entailed  in  the  highest  of  his  private 
interests;  the  most  loathsome  and  the  most  menial 
duties  were  to  be  performed  in  person;  and  the  possible 
reward  of  all  this  was  a  nameless  grave  upon  the  height 
of  Bush  Hill."  Soon  after  the  beginning  of  his  work 
Girard  wrote  to  a  friend  in  France,  "The  mortality 
is  so  great  and  the  fever  so  general  that  it  is  no  longer 
possible  to  find  nurses  for  the  sick  or  men  to  bury 
the  dead." 

In  three  months  one  sixth  of  the  twenty-five  thou- 
sand inhabitants  died. 

There  were  returns  of  the  disease  in  1794,  1795, 
1796,  and  1797.  In  1798  there  were  nearly  as  many 
deaths  as  in  1793.  One  of  the  dramatic  incidents 
of  1798  occurred  when  the  fever  broke  out  in  the  Wal- 
nut Street  Prison,  where  several  hundred  prisoners 
were  confined.  The  jailer  resigned,  as  well  as  several 
deputy  jailers.  One  who  has  told  "of  what  followed  says : 

"While  the  fever  raged  within  the  prison   walls, 
some  of  the  more  desperate  of  its  inmates  planned  an 
146 


MORE   WAYS   OF   COLONIAL   DAYS 

insurrection,  in  order  to  escape  from  confinement  and 
the  much  dreaded  pestilence.  There  was  a  meeting  in 
the  yard  during  the  physician's  visit  when  some  con- 
victs escaped  from  their  cells.  The  volunteer  jailer 
conquered  by  force  of  arms  after  two  rebels  were  mor- 
tally'wounded.  One  of  them  said  to  the  jailer:  'It  is 
well  for  you  that  you  conquered  us,  for  if  successful, 
we  intended  to  plunder  and  burn  the  city."1 

Many  theories  were  advised  for  the  periodical 
appearance  of  the  yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia.  Some 
contended  that  it  was  brought  by  immigrant  vessels. 
As  early  as  1754  physicians  were  appointed  to  investi- 
gate the  ships  as  they  arrived,  but  they  were  not  al- 
ways successful  in  preventing  the  landing  of  those 
who  brought  contagion. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  the  eighteenth  century 
the  heavily  laden  slavers  brought  disease  and  death 
with  them. 

Slavery  was  abolished  in  Pennsylvania  in  1780, 
but  slavers  continued  to  be  fitted  out  in  the  port.  Ac- 
cordingly, a  petition  was  presented  to  the  General 
Assembly  asking  that  "such  addition  be  made  to  the 
Said  law  as  shall  efficiently  put  a  stop  to  the  Slave 
Trade  being  carried  on  directly  or  indirectly  in  the 
Commonwealth,  and  to  assure  other  purposes  of  benev- 
olence and  justice  to  an  oppressed  part  of  the  human 
species." 

Opposition  to  the  coming  of  the  slaves  to  Phila- 
delphia and  the  fitting  out  of  slavers  in  the  port  was 
based,  not  on  the  desire  to  protect  from  disease,  but 
on  the  higher  desire  to  prevent  wrong. 

Pennsylvania  was  a  leader  in  the  antislavery  agi- 
tation. The  first  formal  protest  against  slavery  was 

147 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

made  in  this  colony,  as  well  as  the  first  organized  agita- 
tion against  it,  the  first  and  greatest  of  the  abolition 
societies  was  formed  here,  and  the  first  law  to  bring 
slavery  to  an  end  was  written  into  the  statutes  of  the 
colony. 

Fourteen  years  before  the  passage  of  the  law,  in 
1766,  a  legal  document  was  filed  in  which  freedom 
was  given  to  a  slave  who  had  long  been  the  property 
of  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  colony.  This  early 
deed  of  manumission  read  as  follows : 

KNOW  ALL  MEN  by  these  presents  that  we  Mary 
and  Sarah  Norris  joint  administratrices  of  the  Estate 
of  Isaac  Norris  late  of  Fairhill  in  the  county  of  Phila- 
delphia Esqr  deceased,  have  granted  and  agreed  that  a 
certain  Negro  man  named  Samuel  late  the  property  of 
their  dear  Parent  the  before  mention 'd  Isaac  Norris, 
upon  Conditions  shall  be  free,  these  therefore  Wit- 
nesseth  that  for  and  in  Consideration  of  his  faithfull 
Services  to  his  late  honoured  Master  they  do  jointly 
agree  that  he  the  said  Samuel  shall  from  and  after 
the  thirteenth  day  of  July  next  be  free  and  discharg'd 
from  his  Servitude  and  shall  have  a  bill  of  Manumission 
for  that  purpose  in  due  form  of  Law.  Provided  Never- 
theless that  in  the  meanwhile  .the  said  Samuel  doth 
faithfully  and  honestly  serve  them  the  said  Mary 
and  Sarah  Norris  on  the  same  Conditions  and  in  the 
same  manner  he  has  hitherto  done  otherwise  this 
Obligation  to  be  void  and  of  no  effect." 

Another  method  of  setting  a  slave  free  was  adopted 
by  Charles  Brockden  in  1752,  who  had  deeded  his 
wife's  slave,  Beulah,  to  the  Moravian  Church.  Of 
her  purchase  he  told  thus: 

"The  cause  of  which  purchase  of  her  was  not  with 
any  intention  of  worldly  gain  by   continuing   her  in 
148 


MORE   WAYS  OF  COLONIAL  DAYS 

slavery  all  the  days  of  her  life,  but  partly  for  the  service 
of  my  dear  wife  Susannah,  who  is  since  deceased,  and 
partly  in  mercy  to  prevent  others  from  buying  her  for 
filthy  lucre's  sake." 

A  custom  that  at  times,  for  a  season  at  least,  brought 
almost  as  many  hardships  to  the  voluntary  victims  as 
the  institution  of  slavery  was  the  system  of  the  sale 
of  redemptioners.  An  agreement  between  Captain 
Osborne  and  his  passengers,  now  in  possession  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Historical  Society,  tells  how  those  re- 
demptioners began  a  sort  of  slavery: 

"  We  whose  Names  are  hereunto  annexed  do  hereby 
acknowledge  that  we  have  agreed  with  Capt.  Peter 
Osborne,  Commander  of  the  good  Ship  called  the 
Pennsylvania  Packett  to  Pay  him  for  our  Passage  from 
London  to  Philadelphia  in  North  America  Fourteen 
Days  after  our  safe  arrival  at  the  said  place,  (the  said 
Capt.  Osborne  finding  us  in  sufficient  meat  and  drink 
during  the  said  passage)  at  and  after  the  rate  of  eight 
pounds  eight  shillings  Sterling  per  Head — &  in  case  of 
nonperformance  of  the  said  payment  by  any  of  us, 
that  then  the  said  Captain,  Peter  Osborne  or  the  Owners 
of  the  said  ship  shall  have  full  Power  to  dispose  of  us 
for  the  said  money,  or  any  of  us  that  shall  not  make 
good  the  said  Payment  within  the  said  fourteen  Days 
above  limited  Witness  our  Hands  in  London  the  16th 
day  of  February  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1773." 

But  the  days  of  the  redemptioner,  like  the  days  of 
the  slave,  were  finally  ended,  and  the  way  was  open 
for  every  citizen  of  Philadelphia  to  enjoy  life  and  liberty. 


VII 
EARLY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS 

THE  "FIRST  SCHOOLMASTER — WHY  ISRAEL  PEMBERTON  WAS  SORE — THE 
ORIGIN  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OP  PENNSYLVANIA — "NOT  A  DOVE,  BUT 
A  HAWK  OR  A  FALCON" — LANTERN  AND  BELL,  THE  PENALTY  FOR 
TARDINESS — HAZING  THE  MASTER — DEAD  ON  His  KNEES — HE  TAUGHT 
SCHOOL  IN  GAOL — POOR  TEN- YEAR-OLD  GEORGE! — THE  DAWNING  OP 
A  BETTER  DAY 

APART  of  the  vision  of  William  Penn  was  a  free 
education  for  all  the  boys  and  girls  of  all  the 
people,  and  this  was  not  the  least  element  in 
the  lure  that  drew  the  colonists  from  Old  England  to 
the  new  land. 

According  to  Penn's  original  plan  for  his  colony 
the  laws  of  the  Province  were  to  be  "one  of  the  books 
taught  in  the  schools  of  the  Province." 

This,  the  first  mention  of  schools  in  the  colony, 
was  followed  in  1683  by  the  order  of  the  Assembly  in 
Philadelphia  that  "all  persons  having  children  and  all 
the  guardians  and  masters  of  orphans,  shall  cause  such 
to  be  instructed  in  reading  and  writing,  so  that  they 
may  be  able  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  to  write  by  the 
time  they  attain  to  twelve  years  of  age,  and  that  then 
they  be  taught  some  useful  trade  or  skill,  that  the  poor 
may  work  to  live,  and  the  rich  if  they  become  poor 
may  not  want."  The  provision  made  to  enforce  the 
law  was  "the  first  compulsory  education  law  in 
Pennsylvania.'* 

That  this  early  law  was  not  a  dead  letter  is  clear 
from  the  fact  that  when  an  apprentice  asked  the  court 
150 


EARLY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS 

to  see  that  his  master  John  Crosby  teach  him  to  read, 
"which  he  hath  not  freely  performed,"  it  was  ordered 
that  the  master  "put  said  servant  to  school  one  month, 
and  .  .  .  instruct  him  another  month." 

The  first  schoolmaster  was  provided,  by  official 
action,  on  "the  26th  of  ye  10th  Month,  1683." 

"The  Govr  and  Prov11  Councill  having  taken  into 
their  Serious  Consideration  the  great  necessity  there 
is  of  a  School  Master  for  ye  instruction  &  Sober  Educa- 
tion of  youth  in  the  towne  of  Philadelphia,  sent  for 
Enoch  fflower  an  Inhabitant  of  the  said  Towne,  who 
for  twenty  years  past  hath  been  exercised  in  that  care 
and  Imployment  in  England,  to  whom  having  Com- 
municated their 'Minds,  they  Embraced  it  upon  the 
following  terms:  to  Learne  to  read  English  4s  by  the 
Quarter,  to  Learne  to  read  and  write  6s  by  ye  Quarter, 
to  learn  to  read,  Write  and  Cast  accot  8s  by  ye 
Quarter,  for  Boarding  a  Scholler,  that  is  to  say,  dyet, 
washing,  Lodging  &  Scooling,  Tenn  pounds  for  an 
whole  year." 

Before  the  close  of  the  year  the  proposed  school 
was  opened  in  a  dwelling  which  was  "built  of  pine 
&  cedar  planks." 

The  elementary  school  was  good  so  far  as  it  went, 
but  more  was  desired,  so  later,  in  1683,  the  Council 
proposed  "That  Care  be  Takenn  about  the  Learning 
and  Instruction  of  Youth,  to  Witt :  a  School  of  Arts  and 
Sciences."  At  the  same  meeting  it  was  proposed  by 
those  who  had  charge  of  the  city's  welfare  to  provide 
by  law  "for  Makeing  of  Severall  Sorts  of  Books, 
for  the  use  of  Persons  in  this  Province." 

The  first  "public  Grammar  School"  was  opened 
in  1689  by  Thomas  Lloyd,  at  the  request  of  William 

151 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Penn.  This,  it  is  thought,  was  the  beginning  of  the 
William  Penn  Charter  School,  which  was  long  known 
as  the  Friends'  Public  School.  The  formal  charter 
was  granted  in  1701.  There  has  been  no  interruption 
in  this  school  from  the  beginning.  Wickersham  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that  it  "ranks  with  the  Paro- 
chial School  of  the  Dutch  Church  in  New  York  and  the 
Latin  School  in  Boston  as  one  of  the  oldest  schools  in 
the  country." 

At  first  the  annual  salary  of  the  first  master,  George 
Keith,  was  £50,  in  addition  to  the  use  of  a  house  for  his 
family  and  all  the  profits  of  the  school.  He  was  to 
teach  the  poor  without  charge.  He  was  promised 
£120  and  perquisites  for  the  second  year;  but  he 
was  not  a  success,  and  Thomas  Makin  was  given  the 
position. 

Makin  must  have  taught  several  years  without 
a  license,  judging  from  the  action  of  the  Provincial 
Council  taken  on  August  1,  1693: 

"Thomas  Meaking,  Keeper  of  the  Free  School  in 
the  town  of  Philadelphia,  being  called  before  the  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  and  Council,  and  told  that  he  must 
not  keep  school  Without  a  license ...  Was  therefore 
ordered  to  procure  a  certificate  of  his  ability,  learning 
and  diligence  from  the  inhabitants  of  note  in  this  town 
by  the  sixteenth  instant,  in  order  to  the  obtaining  of  a 
license,  which  he  promised  to  do." 

Many  illuminating  glimpses  of  Tutor  Makin  are 
given  in  two  letters  concerning  one  of  his  pupils,  Israel 
Pemberton,  who  did  not  get  along  so  well  with  Makin's 
assistant  or  with  the  master  himself.  The  first  of  these 
epistles  was  dated  "5  Mo  22,  1698: 

152 


EARLY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS 

"DEAR  MASTER 

"THOMAS  MEAKIN 

"lest  through  mistake  the  abuse  I  Received  at  the 
schoole  being  noised  abroad  should  be  taken  to  be  thee 
I  made  bold  to  write  these  few  lines  for  the  clearing 
of  thee  thy  Instructions  were  so  mil,d  and  gentle  as 
that  I  never  received  one  blow  or  strike  from  thy  hand 
during  my  stay  there  tho  my  dullness  at  times  might 
have  given  thee  occation  for  if  I  wanted  Information 
with  boldness  I  cold  always  come  to  thee  being  always 
friendly  Received  but  from  another,  I  always  found 
Rough  answers  where  I  quickly  left  to  trouble  him  not 
finding  the  Kindness  as  from  thee  &  Indeed  what  he 
did  for  me  from  first  to  last  is  to  be  seen  in  that  little 
Lattin  book  I  write  at  his  first  Coming  which  I  have 
forgot  at  schoole  behind  me  if  thee  would  be  pleased 
to  send  it  by  some  of  the  boatmen  to  be  left  at  Sam11 
Jennings  when  thou  meets  with  it  I  shall  take  it  a 
kindness  I  do  say  it  was  not  my  Intent  to  have  let  it  be 
Known  but  the  anguish  of  the  blows  and  being  In- 
wardly opprest  with  greife  to  think  how  I  was  used 
without  having  the  liberty  to  spake  one  word  in  my 
defense  did  so  change  my  Countenance  that  my  sister 
promptly  perceived  it  who  was  restless  untill  I  had 
uncovered  the  occation  who  rested  not  then  but  would 
see  &  when  she  saw  was  also  so  griev'd  that  she  would 
show  me  to  some  others  tho  I  Indeavored  much  to 
diswade  her  but  she  would  not  but  did  cause  me  to  be 
seen  by  H:  carpenter  and  Tho:  whartons  wife,  but 
conterary  to  my  mind  tho  he  never  showed  any  respect 
to  me  as  a  scholar  but  still  frowned  upon  me  the  Reason 
I  know  not  for  I  never  Intended  to  vex  him  &  therefore 
never  made  use  of  him  &  thou  being  out  of  school  he 
took  that  oppertunity  so  to  Thrash  me ...  I  desire  not  to 
injure  him  I  would  willingly  have  stayed  longer  at  the 
Schoole  but  my  sister  having  told  my  father  how  things 
were  &  the  tokens  of  his  Correction  still  remaining  upon 

153 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

me  tho  almost  five  weeks  since  &  are  still  to  be  seen  & 
so  sore  as  that  I  cannot  endure  anything  to  press  against 
it . .  .but  I  love  thee  &  desire  to  be  with  thee  &  to  spend 
the  rest  of  my  schooling  under  thee,  but  whether  it 
may  be  so  or  no  I  Know  not  yet  I  desire  it  with  my 
love  and  send  these  lines  who  am  thy  scholar, 

"ISRAEL  PEMBERTON." 

Early  in  the  year  1699  Makin  wrote  to  Phineas 
Pemberton  about  the  difficulty  that  had  arisen  between 
Israel  and  the  assistant  tutor.  He  was  troubled  be- 
cause he  had  learned  that  the  father  proposed  to  put 
the  boy  in  another  school.  In  the  letter  he  said : 

"I  cannot  but  resent  it  as  some  dimunition  to  my 
Credit,  since  thee  first  committed  him  to  my  Peda- 
gogic, now  to  putt  him  to  another  who  I  suppose  will 
sett  him  to  learn  all  Arithmetick  de  novo. .  As  for 
thy  great  Resentment  for  F.  D.  P.,  I  have  spoken  to 
him  to  write  to  thee  also,  if  possible  all  we  can  may 
prevail  to  reclaim  thee  from  thy  sd  Intentions:  wd  that 
it  may  prove  successful  is  ye  earnest  desire  of  thy  re- 
spectful friend  &  Countryman 

"Tno:  MAKIN." 

The  relations  between  the  master  and  his  former 
pupil  continued  good,  for  in  1728  Makin  wrote  to 
Israel  Pemberton,  addressing  him  as  "Honored  Fr*1" : 

"Having  alreadie  sent  thee  a  description  of  Pen- 
silvania  writt  in  Latin  verse,  especially  for  ye  use  of 
thy  Son,  now  considering  thy  self  may  not  understand 
ye  same,  therefore  now  present  thee  with  ye  same  in 
English,  for  wch,  being  in  want,  I  humbly  pray  some 
small  reward,  for  w°h  I  shall  be  thy  thankfull  frd" 

Enclosed  with  the  letter  was  a  Description  of  Penn- 
sylvania whose  style  may  be  judged  from  an  extract: 
154 


EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTERS 

"On  Delaware  does  Philadelphia  stand, 
And  does  her  stately  buildings  far  extend. 
The  Streets  laid  out  directly  by  a  line 
And  house  to  house  contigiously  does  joyn. 
The  Govern1  here  keeps  his  residence, 
One  grave  in  years  &  long  experience. 
Four  sacred  houses  in  this  city  are, 
And  one  not  distant  from  ye  city  far. 
To  this  long  known  and  well-frequented  port 
From  sundry  places  many  shipps  resort. 
In  Merchandizing  most  men  are  here  employ 'd: 
All  useful  artists  too  are  occupied. 
The  frugal  farmer,  like  y8  careful  Ant, 
In  Summer  'gainst  cold  Winter  is  provident, 
His  barn,  well  cover'd  to  keep  out  ye  rain, 
Fills  wth  good  hay  &  divers  sorts  of  grain. 
Neglecting  costly  cloathes  &  dainty  food, 
His  own  unbought  provisions  sweet  &  good. 

.Weary  wth  labour  takes  his  ease  &  rest: 
His  homespun  cloathing  pleasing  him  y6  best. 
O  that  such  were  my  happy  lot  at  last, 
Then  all  my  trouble  past  would  be  forgott." 

But  poverty  continued  to  be  the  lot  of  the  former 
school  teacher.  Finally  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette  of 
November  29,  1733,  told  how  "on  Monday  evening 
last  Mr.  Thomas  Meakine  fell  off  a  wharf  into  the 
Delaware,  and  before  he  could  be  taken  out  again, 
he  was  drowned."  The  Weekly  Mercury,  in  its  brief 
account  of  the  accident,  called  him  an  "Ancient 
Schoolmaster,"  and  added  that  he  was  trying  to  fill  a 
pail  of  water  from  the  river  when  he  fell  from  the  pier. 

The  main  building  of  the  Friends'  school  in  which 
Makin  taught  was  long  located  on  Fourth  street, 
near  the  Friends'  meeting  house.  Branches  for  charity 
were  in  different  parts  of  the  city.  The  Penn  Charter 

155 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

School,  its  successor,  is  now  located  on  Twelfth  street, 
between  Chestnut  and  Market  streets. 

In  1743  Benjamin  Franklin  began  to  talk  about 
an  Academy.  Six  years  later  he  wrote  his  pamphlet 
"Proposals  Relative  to  the  Education  of  Youth  in 
Pennsylvania."  In  this  the  proposition  was  made 
"that  the  house  for  the  Academy  should  be  located 
not  far  from  a  river,  and  have  connected  with  it  a 
garden  .  .  .  and  be  furnished  with  a  library,  maps 
of  all  countries,  globes,  some  mathematical  instruments, 
an  apparatus  for  experiments  in  natural  philosophy 
and  mechanics."  The  pupils  were  to  be  "frequently 
exercised  in  running,  leaping,  wrestling  and  swimming." 

The  Academy  was  opened  in  1751  in  a  building 
constructed  in  1740  for  use  as  a  "Charity  School" 
and  as  a  "House  of  Publick  Worship."  In  1753  the 
institution  was  chartered,  Franklin  being  President 
of  the  board  of  Trustees.  Two  years  later  it  was 
chartered  as  a  college.  The  attendance  increased 
rapidly.  In  1763  there  were  more  than  four  hundred 
students  in  attendance.  The  academy  and  college  were 
merged  in  the  University  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania 
in  1779,  and  in  1791  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
absorbed  the  earlier  institution. 

David  James  Dove,  the  first  English  teacher  in 
Franklin's  Academy,  was  one  of  the  most  famous  char- 
acters in  old  Philadelphia.  In  a  letter  to  Dr.  Samuel 
Johnson,  Franklin  said  that  he  was  "a  gentleman 
about  your  age,  who  formerly  taught  grammar  sixteen 
years  at  Chichester,  in  England.  He  is  an  excellent 
master  and  his  scholars  have  made  a  surprising  progress." 

Dove's  salary  for  his  first  probationary  year  was 
156 


'•; 


DAVID    JAMES    DOVE,    SCHOOLMASTER 
(Drawn  by  Benjamin  West) 


ROBERT    PROUD,    SCHOOLMASTER 
(Original  in  the  possession  of  the  Library  Company  of  Pennsylvania) 


(1)  GIRL'S  RED  STUFF  GOWN,  1730;  (2)  PRINT  GOWN  OF  1710;  (3)  WHITE 
DAMASK  LINEN  GOWN  OF  1720;  (4)  SUIT  OF  BLUE  SILK,  1740;  (5) 
BROWN  VELVET  SUIT,  1760 

(The  originals  of  2  and  3  may  be  seen  at  Stenton,  Philadelphia) 


(1)  BROWN  VELVET  SUIT  OF  1760  (ORIGINAL  IN  INDEPENDENCE  HALL); 
(2)  BUFF  PRINTED  CAMBRIC  DRESS,  ABOUT  1760;  (3)  SHEER  MUSLIN 
GOWN,  ABOUT  1790;  (4)  CLOAK,  MUFF  AND  HAT,  AFTER  SIR  JOSHUA 
REYNOLDS,  1780;  MUSLIN  GOWN  OF  1790 


EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTERS 

£150,  Dr.  William  Smith,  later  Provost  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania,  being  the  only  one  connected 
with  the  school  who  had  a  higher  salary.  He  added 
to  his  income  by  taking  boarders  into  his  home.  Charles 
Thomson,  later  Secretary  of  Congress,  was  one  of  the 
first  boarders.  The  story  is  told  that  when  Thomson 
decided  to  seek  another  boarding  place  he  first  took 
the  precaution  to  secure  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dove  a 
statement  that  he  had  been  a  satisfactory  boarder, 
for  he  feared  that  the  master  would  say  unpleasant 
things  about  him  if  care  was  not  taken  to  stop  his 
ceaseless  tongue. 

Another  scheme  to  add  to  the  Dove  income  was 
made  by  the  founding  of  a  school  for  young  ladies,  in 
connection  with  the  academy.  The  announcement 
indicated  that  those  who  came  would  be  carefully 
taught  the  "English  grammar;  the  true  way  of  spelling, 
and  pronouncing  properly;  together  with  fair  writing, 
arithmetick  and  accounts  .  .  . " 

Before  long  Dove  was  giving  so  much  time  to  the 
young  ladies — whose  tuition  payments  went  into  his 
own  pocket — that  he  had  to  have  two  assistants. 
Accordingly,  Franklin  and  Judge  Peters  were  appointed 
a  Committee  of  the  Trustees  to  make  him  see  the  error 
of  his  ways.  But  the  committee  soon  had  to  report  that 
they  were  unable  to  make  Dove  appreciate  the  point 
of  their  complaint.  "He  seemed  desirous  of  being 
indulged  in  the  practice,"  they  said.  Of  course  he 
could  not  be  retained  under  the  circumstances. 

The  difficulty  of  dealing  with  Dove  was  shown  by 
one  of  his  pupils,  a  nephew  of  Judge  Peters,  who  said 
that  he  was  "a  sarcastic  and  ill-tempered  doggerelizer, 

157 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

who  was  but  ironically  Dove,  for  his  temper  was  that 
of  a  hawk,  and  his  pen  the  beak  of  a  falcon  pouncing 
on  his  prey." 

The  later  history  of  this  unruly  schoolmaster  was 
what  might  have  been  expected.  After  teaching  for 
a  time  in  a  school  of  his  own  in  VidelPs  Alley,  now 
Ionic  Street,  he  became  English  master  at  the  German- 
town  Academy,  where  his  ungovernable  temper  drove 
two  assistants  from  the  school  and  terrorized  the 
friends  and  the  Trustees.  Once  again  he  opened  a 
boarding  school  on  the  side,  and  he  refused  to  give 
this  up  at  the  request  of  the  trustees.  Finally,  in  1763, 
his  overbearing  ways  became  too  much  for  the  patrons 
of  the  school,  and  they  memorialized  the  trustees  con- 
cerning his  habit  of  sending  boys  on  errands  and  his 
spending  time  on  private  boarders  that  belonged  to 
the  students  of  the  Academy. 

When  the  trustees  tried  to  remove  him,  he  refused 
to  be  removed,  even  though  Pelatiah  Webster  had 
already  been  appointed  as  his  successor.  Dove  held 
possession  of  the  schoolhouse,  and  declared  that  he 
would  not  retire.  Eight  of  the  contributors  to  the 
academy  thereupon  addressed  a  letter  to  the  trustees, 
which  came  into  the  hands  of  James  Galloway,  who, 
with  Thomas  Wharton,  was  charged  with  the  duty  of 
dealing  with  Dove.  On  the  letter,  which  was  dated 
September  26,  1763,  Galloway  endorsed  a  reply  in 
which  he  promised  action  that  would  disprove  the 
charge  of  cowardice  made  in  the  letter: 

"Gentlemen — 

"After  meeting  this  Morning  at  Seven  o'clock  we 
sent  a  Letter  Requesting  your  Meeting  us  at  Three  in 
the  afternoon  When  our  Messenger  Inform'd  us  one 
158 


EARLY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS 

was  gone  out  of  town  and  the  others  so  Engaged  in 
their  own  privet  affairs  that  they  Could  not  attend. 
Therefore  wee  take  this  second  Oppertunety  (in  one 
Day)  to  Let  you  Know  that  wee  have  Done  Nothing, 
but  adjurn'd  till  tomorrow  at  Ten  o'clock  at  which 
time  wee  Ernestly  Request  you  will  Meet  us  to  Take 
Possession  of  the  Schoolhouse  that  Webster  may  Enter 
Agreeable  to  our  contract  with  him.  Wee  pay  so  much 
Respect  to  you  Cityzens  that  wee  are  Determined  to 
Do  Nothing  in  the  present  affairs  without  you  Except 
you  Which  wee  Cannot  Suspect  Should  prove  Cowards 
in  the  Day  of  Battle  Untill  which  time  wee  Shall 
Subscribe  our  Selves  your  Real  friends 

"My  frd  "George  Absetnz, 

"I  will  waite  on  Thos  "Christopher  Sower, 

Wharton  tomorrow  "John  Jones, 

Morning  8  o'clock,  "Rich.  Johnson, 

if  he  goes  in  a  "Jacob  Nagles, 

Chair  I'll  take  a  "Niclaus  Rittinghouse, 

Seat,  if  not  attend  "John  Vandiren, 

him  on  Horseback,  "Tho  Livezey." 
&  Convince  those 
Gent,  at  Germt.  we 
are  not  cowards 
"J.  G." 

Of  course  Dove  made  way  after  a  time  for  his 
successor,  but  for  many  years  he  continued  to  teach 
private  school  in  Germantown.    Later  he  advertised 
t  at  the  "repeated  solicitation  of  many  gentlemen 
d  ladies,  whom  Mr.  Dove  had  formerly  had  the  honor 
instructing,"  he  proposed, "  God  willing,  to  open  a 
ool  at  his  house  in  Front  street,  near  the  corner 
Arch  street   .    .    .   where  youth  of  both  sexes  in 
arate  apartments  would  be  taught  to  read,  cypher, 
and  speak  our  language  according  to  the  exact  rules 
of  grammar." 

159 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

In  this  school  he  taught  until  his  death,  in  1769. 

Alexander  Graydon,  who  was  a  pupil  of  Dove  in 
Philadelphia,  told  in  his  Memoirs  of  the  master's 
methods  of  discipline: 

"His  birch  was  rarely  used  in  canonical  method,  but 
was  generally  stuck  into  the  back  part  of  the  collar  of 
the  unfortunate  culprit,  who,  with  this  badge  of  dis- 
grace towering  from  his  nape  like  a  broom  at  the  mast- 
head of  a  vessel  for  sale,  was  compelled  to  take  his 
stand  upon  the  top  of  the  form  for  such  a  period  of 
time,  as  his  offense  was  thought  to  deserve. 

"He  had  another  contrivance  for  boys  who  were 
late  in  their  morning  attendance.  This  was  to  despatch 
a  committee  of  five  or  six  scholars  for  them,  with  a  bell 
and  lighted  lantern,  and  in  this  odd  equipage,  in  broad 
day  light,  the  bell  all  the  while  tinkling,  were  they 
escorted  through  the  streets  to  the  school.  As  Dove 
affected  a  strict  regard  to  justice  in  his  punishments, 
and  always  professed  a  willingness  to  have  an  equal 
measure  of  it  meted  out  to  himself  in  case  of  his  trans- 
gressing, the  boys  took  him  at  his  word;  and  one  morn- 
ing when  he  had  overstaid  his  time,  either  through 
laziness,  inattention,  or  design,  he  found  himself  waited 
upon  in  the  usual  form.  He  immediately  admitted 
the  justice  of  the  procedure,  and  putting  himself  behind 
the  lantern  and  bell,  marched  with  great  solemnity  to 
school,  to  the  no  small  gratification  of  the  boys  and 
the  entertainment  of  the  spectators." 

Graydon  gives  further  delightful  pictures  of  early 
school  life.  At  one  time  he  was  a  pupil  of  John  Bever- 
idge,  a  Scotchman,  who  was  an  exceedingly  poor  dis- 
ciplinarian. The  boys  took  advantage  of  his  weakness. 

In  the  afternoon  Mr.  B.  was  apt  to  be  late.  The 
bell  rang,  the  ushers  were  at  their  posts,  and  the  scholars 
were  arranged  in  their  clases.  Three  or  four  con- 
160 


EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTERS 

spirators  concealed  themselves  without,  to  watch  for 
the  teacher.  "He  arrives,"  Graydon  wrote,  "enters  the 
school,  and  is  permitted  to  proceed  until  he  is  supposed 
to  have  nearly  reached  his  chair  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  room,  when  instantly  the  door  and  every  window 
shutter  is  closed.  Now,  shrouded  in  utter  darkness, 
the  most  hideous  yells  that  can  be  conceived  are  sent 
forth  from  at  least  three-score  of  throats,  and  Ovids, 
and  Virgils,  and  Horaces,  together  with  the  more 
heavy  metal  of  dictionaries  .  .  .  are  hurled  without 
remorse  at  the  head  of  the  astonished  preceptor — who, 
on  his  side,  groping  and  crawling  under  cover  of  the 
forms,  makes  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  door.  When 
attained  and  light  restored,  a  deathlike  silence  ensues. 
Every  boy  is  at  his  lesson,  no  one  has  had  a  hand  or  a 
voice  in  the  recent  atrocity.  What  then  is  to  be  done, 
and  who  shall  be  chastised?" 

For  several  days  this  method  of  hazing  the  master 
was  continued.  Then  the  authorities  interfered,  and 
there  was  peace — until  the  boys  thought  up  some  new 
scheme  to  plague  poor  Beveridge. 

When  Graydon  began  his  school  career  in  Philadel- 
phia he  stayed  at  his  grandfather's  house,  but  later — 
on  the  death  of  his  father — his  mother  moved  to  the 
;ity  from  Bristol,  and  Alexander  went  to  school  from 
ter  house.     This  was  a  boarding  house,  where  boys 
lived  who  went  to  the  academy,  "of  which  there  were 
generally  a  number  from  the  southern  province  and  the 
West  India  Islands,"  Graydon  explained. 

Through  the  change  of  residence  from  his  grand- 
father's house  to  that  of  his  mother  he  was  accustomed 
to  pass  many  points  of  interest.  "My  course,"  he 

161 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

said,  "generally  led  me  through  what  is  now  called 
Dock  street,  then  a  filthy,  uncovered  sewer,  bordered 
on  either  side  by  shabby  stable-yards  and  tan-yards. 
To  these  succeeded  the  more  agreeable  object  of  Israel 
Pemberton's  garden  (now  covered  in  part  by  the  Bank 
of  the  United  States)  laid  out  in  the  old-fashioned 
style.  Thence  turning  Chestnut  street  corner,  to  the 
left,  and  passing  a  row  of  dingy  two-story  houses, 
I  came  to  the  Whale  bones,  which  gave  name  to  the 
alley,  at  the  corner  of  which  they  stood.  These  never 
ceased  to  be  occasionally  an  object  of  some  curiosity 
and  might  be  called  my  second  stage,  beyond  which 
there  was  but  one  general  object  of  attention,  and  this 
was  to  get  a  peep  at  the  race  horses,  which  in  sporting 
seasons  were  kept  in  the  widow  Nichol's  stable,  which 
from  her  house,  (the  Indian  Queen  at  the  corner  of 
Market  street),  extended  perhaps  two-thirds  or  more 
of  the  way  to  Chestnut  street.  In  fact,  throughout  the 
whole  of  my  route,  the  intervals  took  up  as  much 
as  the  buildings,  and  with  the  exception  of  here  and 
there  a  straggling  house,  Fifth  street  might  have  been 
called  the  Western  extremity  of  the  city." 

It  is  difficult  to  turn  away  from  Graydon  and  his 
pictures  of  boy  life  at  school.  One  more  story  he  told 
must  be  repeated : 

"The  enthusiasm  of  the  turf  had  pervaded  the 
academy,  and  the  most  extravagant  transports  of  that 
theatre  of  triumph  of  a  favorite  horse,  were  not  more 
zealous  and  impassioned,  than  were  the  acclamations 
which  followed  the  victor  in  a  foot-race  round  a  square. 
Stripped  to  the  shirt,  and  accoutred  for  the  heat  by  a 
handkerchief  bound  round  the  head,  another  round 
the  middle,  with  loosened  knee-bands,  without  shoes, 
162 


EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTERS 

or  with  moccasins  instead  of  them,  the  racers  were 
started,  and,  bearing  to  the  left  round  the  corner  of 
Arch  street  they  encompassed  the  square  in  which 
the  academy  stands,  while  the  most  eager  spectators 
.  .  .  scampered  over  the  church  burying  ground  to 
Fifth  street  in  order  to  see  the  state  of  the  runners  as 
they  passed  .  .  .  The  four  sides  of  this  square  cannot 
be  much  less  than  three-quarters  of  a  mile  (?) ;  wherefore, 
bottom  in  the  courses,  was  no  less  essential  than  swift- 
ness, and  in  both,  Lewis  bore  away  the  palm  from  every- 
one that  dared  enter  against  him.  After  having  in  a 
great  number  of  matches  completely  triumphed  over 
the  academy,  other  schools  were  resorted  to  for  racers, 
but  all  in  vain." 

Some  of  the  earlier  students  at  the  Academy  found 
sport  in  baiting  Robert  Proud,  an  interesting  character 
who  taught  Greek  and  Latin  in  the  institution  until 
the  early  seventies.  His  name  appears  in  the  catalogue 
of  books  published  in  1798  in  connection  with  his 
History  of  Pennsylvania  from  1681  to  1742.  The 
book  has  been  called  the  most  confused  and  tedious 
composition  that  ever  tormented  human  patience.  It 
is  easy  to  imagine  how  popular  he  was  as  an  instructor. 

Andrew  Porter  was  another  of  the  celebrated 
school  teachers  of  the  eighteenth  century.  His  boyhood 
was  spent  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  an  elder  in  Norriton 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  if  his  father  had  been  given 
his  way  the  schoolmaster  would  have  been  lost  in  a 
very  mediocre  farmer  or  a  poor  carpenter.  Whenever 

had  a  chance  he  would  read  a  borrowed  book,  and 
hen  a  neighboring  schoolmaster  took  an  interest  in 
he  was  in  his  element.  He  had  a  special  genius 

mathematics.  In  one  of  the  books  borrowed  from 

163 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

the  friendly  schoolmaster  he  became  interested  in  the 
draft  of  a  sun-dial,  and  he  wondered  if  he  could  not 
make  one.  At  a  quarry  on  the  Schuylkill  near  Spring 
Mill  he  found  a  stone  which  he  thought  would  answer 
his  purpose.  This  he  carried  eight  or  ten  miles  to  his 
home.  In  his  brother's  carpenter  shop,  during  the 
proprietor's  absence,  he  reduced  the  stone  to  proper 
size  and  shape  by  the  use  of  saws,  planes  and  chisels. 
Of  course  the  tools  were  ruined;  but  the  sun-dial 
was  finished  satisfactorily. 

Next  he  opened  a  school  near  his  home,  and  while 
there  he  attracted  the  attention  of  David  Bittenhouse 
by  his  application  for  a  book  on  conic  sections.  The 
astronomer,  amazed  to  learn  that  the  boy  had  studied 
mathematics  but  a  few  months,  persuaded  him  that 
one  of  his  talents  was  needed  in  Philadelphia. 

The  name  of  Christopher  Dock  must  not  be  omitted 
from  a  list  of  early  Philadelphia  school  teachers  of 
genius.  While  he  did  not  teach  in  the  city  itself,  his 
influence  on  education  in  the  city  was  large. 

His  first  school  was  opened  on  the  Skippack,  in 
an  old  log  meeting  house  of  the  Mennonites.  Here 
the  son  of  Christopher  Saur,  the  printer,  was  one  of 
his  pupils.  Through  his  son,  Saur  became  interested 
in  Dock's  methods,  and  he  finally  persuaded  the  school- 
master to  write  a  treatise  telling  of  these.  The  manu- 
script of  "  Schul-ordnung  "  was  the  result.  The  author 
stipulated,  however,  that  the  book  must  not  be  pub- 
lished until  after  his  death. 

The  elder  Saur  died  in  1758,  and  the  son,  who  had 
been  Dock's  pupil,  succeeded  to  the  business.  He 
finally  secured  Dock's  consent,  and  the  book  appeared 
164 


EARLY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS 

in  1770,  the  first  educational  book  published  in 
Pennsylvania. 

Martin  C.  Brumbaugh,  in  the  edition  of  Dock's 
book  which  he  has  edited,  says  that  Dock  has  given 
by  indirection  the  only  adequate  picture  of  a  colonial 
school.  "It  is  not  difficult  to  construct  from  his  writ- 
ings a  picture  of  life  among  the  people  of  Penn's 
colony,"  he  says.  "One  can  vision  the  children  living 
at  home  preparing  for  the  day's  duties;  their  march 
over  hill  and  valley  to  the  school;  their  entrance,  the 
routine  of  the  day's  work  with  the  teacher  and  the 
hearty  'good-night*  as  they  turn  again  to  their  home; 
the  round  of  evening  duties,  and  their  weary  foot- 
steps as  they  move  half  asleep  to  their  rest." 

One  evening  in  1771  Dock  did  not  return  from  his 
school  at  the  usual  hour.  A  search  was  made,  and  he 
was  found  in  his  schoolroom  on  his  knees — dead. 
"Thus  ended  in  prayer  for  his  pupils  a  life  singularly 
sweet  and  unselfishly  given  to  the  welfare  of  those 
whom  he  believed  God  had  divinely  appointed  him 
to  teach." 

Anthony  Benezet  has  a  place  of  peculiar  honor 
among  Philadelphia  schoolmasters  because  he  first 
gave  instruction  to  the  negroes.  In  1770  he  was  in- 
strumental in  establishing  a  school  for  them,  and  from 
1782  until  his  death  in  1784  he  was  in  charge  of  this. 
In  his  will  he  gave  his  house  and  lot,  as  well  as  the 
remainder  of  his  estate,  to  the  support  of  "a  religious- 
minded  person,  or  persons,  to  teach  a  number  of  negro, 
mulatto,  or  Indian  children  to  read,  write,  arithmetic, 
plain  accounts,  needle  work,  etc." 

Dr.  William  Smith  first  attracted  the  serious  at- 
tention of  the  friends  of  education  in  Philadelphia  by 

165 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

a  treatise  he  published  in  1753,  in  which  he  gave  his 
views  of  education  and  the  requirements  of  an  institu- 
tion of  learning  in  a  new  country.  Some  of  those 
who  read  it  invited  him  to  become  teacher  of  Natural 
Philosophy,  Logic,  etc.,  in  the  Academy  which  later 
became  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  His  strangest 
schoolroom  was  the  gaol  into  which  he  was  thrust  in 
1758  because  of  his  opposition  to  the  non-resistance 
policy  of  the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania.  For  a  time 
his  classes  resorted  to  him  there. 

A  picturesque  schoolmaster  of  the  early  days  was 
Alexander  Wilson,  the  ornithologist,  who  taught  first 
in  Frankford  and  then  at  Gray's  Ferry.  On  February 
14, 1802,  he  wrote: 

"On  the  25th.  of  this  month  I  remove  to  the  school- 
house  beyond  Gray's  Ferry  to  succeed  the  present 
teacher  there.  I  shall  recommence  that  painful  pro- 
fession once  more  with  the  same  gloomy,  sullen  resig- 
nation that  a  prisoner  re-enters  his  dungeon  or  a  male- 
factor mounts  the  scaffold;  fate  urges  him,  necessity  me. 
The  agreement  between  us  is  to  make  the  school  equal 
to  100  dollars  per  quarter,  but  not  more  than  50  are  to 
be  admitted.  The  present  pedagogue  is  a  noisy, 
outrageous  fat  old  captain  of  a  ship,  who  has  taught 
these  ten  years  in  different  places.  You  may  hear  him 
bawling  300  yards  off.  The  boys  seem  to  pay  as  little 
regard  to  him  as  a  duck  to  the  rumbling  of  a  stream 
under  them.  I  shall  have  many  difficulties  to  overcome 
in  establishing  my  own  rule  and  authority." 

Wilson  was  of  unhappy  disposition.  No  wonder, 
then,  that  he  wrote,  in  July,  1802,  of  Philadelphia: 

"Leave  that  cursed  town  at  least  one  day.  It  is 
the  most  striking  emblem  of  purgatory,  at  least  to  me, 
that  exists.  No  poor  soul  is  happier  to  escape  from 

166 


TIMOTHY    MATLACK,    SCHOOLMASTER 
(From  the  portrait  by  Charles  W.  Peale  in  Independence  Hall) 


BENCH   AND   TABLE   USED   BY   CHRISTOPHER  DOCK  IN  HIS  SCHOOL   IN 
GERMANTOWN 


ALEXANDER   WILSON,    SCHOOLMASTER 


JAMES   WILSON,    TEACHER   OF   LATIN   IN   THE   COLLEGE   OF 
PHILADELPHIA   AND    SIGNER   OF   THE    DECLARATION 

OF    INDEPENDENCE 
(From  the  painting  by  James  Wharton  in  Independence  Hall) 


EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTERS 

Bridewell  than  I  am  to  smell  the  fresh  air  and  gaze 
over  the  green  fields  after  a  day  or  two's  residence 
in  Philadelphia." 

It  has  been  pointed  out  that  it  was  an  odd  coinci- 
dence that  in  1803  John  J.  Audubon,  a  young  man 
who  was  destined  to  share  with  Wilson  fame  as  one  of 
the  greatest  naturalists  America  has  produced,  also  took 
up  his  residence  near  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill,  not 
twenty-five  miles  away,  just  across  from  Valley  Forge. 

One  of  the  great  disappointments  of  Wilson's  life 
was  the  failure  of  his  suit  for  the  hand  of  Annie  Bartram, 
daughter  of  John  Bartram,  Jr.,  and  niece  of  William, 
who  was  in  charge  of  "Kingsess  Gardens,"  as  Bartram's 
Garden  was  then  called.  To  her  the  schoolmaster 
wrote  poems  and  sent  gifts  of  drawing  materials;  but 
she  would  not  accept  him  as  her  husband. 

If  all  parents  were  as  exacting  of  a  schoolmaster 
as  was  Thomas  Chalkley,  the  Quaker  minister  who 
was  active  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  there  would  be  more  who  would  share  in 
Alexander  Wilson's  pessimism  concerning  the  calling. 
When,  in  1727,  Mr.  Chalkley  was  about  to  send  his 
children  to  school  in  Frankford,  he  wrote  the  teacher 
the  following  letter: 

"Loving  friend,  Nathaniel  Walton,  I  hope  thou  wilt 
excuse  the  freedom  I  take  with  thee  in  writing  this  on 
account  of  my  children  in  these  particulars,  viz.  Re- 
specting the  compliment  of  the  hat  and  courtesying, 
the  practice  thereof  being  against  my  professes  prin- 
ciples; 1st,  because  I  find  nothing  like  it  in  the  bible, 
but,  as  I  think,  the  contrary.  Thou  know'st  the  passage 
of  the  Three  children  of  God,  who  stood  covered  before 
a  mighty  monarch;  and  Mordecai,  who  stood  covered 

167 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

before  great  Haman :  and,  2dly,  I  believe  those  practices 
derived  from  vain,  proud  man. 

"And  as  to  language,  I  desire  my  children  may  not 
be  permitted  to  use  the  plural  language  to  a  single 
person,  but  I  pray  thee  to  learn  to  say  thee,  and  thou, 
and  thy,  and  to  speak  it  properly,  (divers  using  it 
improperly)  and  the  rather  I  desire  it  because  it  is  all 
along  used  in  the  divine  inspired  holy  writings  .  .  . 

"The  same  care  I  would  have  them  take,  about  the 
names  of  the  days  of  the  months,  which  are  derived 
from  the  names  of  the  Gods  of  the  heathen,  and  are 
not  found  in  the  bible  .  .  . 

"As  to  the  school  learning  of  my  children,  I  leave 
to  thy  management,  not  questioning  thy  ability  therein, 
and  if  they  want  correction  spare  not  the  rod." 

The  result  of  the  training  given  to  his  children 
by  Chalkley  in  his  home  and  by  the  schoolmaster 
who  was  compelled  to  follow  the  minister's  directions 
was  seen  in  George  Chalkley,  who  died  in  1733,  at  the 
age  of  ten  years  and  seven  days.  His  father  said  of 
him  after  his  death  that  it  was  the  boy's  custom  to 
write  out  anything  that  appealed  to  him  in  the  books 
he  read  or  in  the  Bible.  Then  he  would  learn  it  by  heart. 

"One  piece  he  wrote  and  got  by  heart,"  the  father 
said,  "  was  this : 

"'As  one  day  goes  another  comes, 

And  some  times  shows  us  dismal  dooms; 
As  time  rowls  on,  new  things  we  see, 
Which  seldom  to  us  do  agree: 
Tho'  now  and  then's  a  pleasant  day, 
'Tis  long  in  coming,  soon  away; 
Wherefore  the  everlasting  truth, 
Is  good  for  aged  and  for  youth. 
For  them  to  set  their  hearts  upon: 
For  that  will  last  till  time  is  done.'" 
168 


EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    SCHOOLMASTERS 

Poor  ten-year-old  George!  His  father  somehow 
managed  to  crush  all  the  joy  out  of  his  life. 

A  student  of  a  different  sort  was  Neddy  Burd,  of 
Lancaster,  later  the  husband  of  Elizabeth  Shippen, 
sister  of  Margaret  Shippen,  who  became  the  bride  of 
Benedict  Arnold.  On  April  28,  1765,  he  wrote  a  letter 
in  which  he  told  of  his  entrance  to  college : 

"About  three  weeks  ago  our  Class  was  alarmed 
with  the  news  of  being  examined  by  the  Trustees. 
Luckily  we  had  three  days  to  prepare  for  it  all  which 
time  we  were  much  afraid  of  the  Issue.  I  sat  up  until 
eleven  o'clock  &  rose  before  five  studying  very  hard. 
At  length  the  much  dreaded  day  arrived.  We  were 
conducted  into  the  Electricity  room,  where  the  Revd. 
Mr.  Duchee,  Mr.  Stedman,  Dr.  Alison  &  Mr.  Beveridge 
were  assembled.  You  may  inform  Grandpapa  that  we 
were  first  desired  to  translate  a  piece  out  of  English 
into  Latin,  then  we  were  examined  in  Horace  lastly 
in  Homer  .  .  .  The  public  Examination  of  the  Senior 
Class  was  next  day;  When  we  were  again  desired  to 
attend  at  the  Electricity  Room.  Mr.  Stedman  spoke 
as  follows,  viz  on  account  of  your  yesterday's  Extra- 
ordinary performance  you  are  admitted  to  Colledge." 

On  November  17,  1816,  William  Irvin  Wilson  sent 
to  his  father,  Hugh  Wilson,  of  Deerstown,  Pennsylvania, 
a  letter  telling  of  his  entrance  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  Medical  School: 

"After  a  very  pleasant  but  rather  expensive  journey  I 
arrived  here  and  have  succeeded  in  getting  excellent 
lodging  at  the  rate  of  Five  dollars  per  week.  I  could 
obtain  none  on  more  reasonable  terms  within  a  proper 
distance  of  the  University  .  .  .  There  are  about  seven 
others  in  the  house  besides.  There  are  between  four 
and  five  hundred  students  who,  when  crowded  into  one 
room  make  a  pretty  respectable  appearance.  We 

169 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

attend  six  Professors  in  the  day  ...  I  have  attended  the 
Hospital  and  Almshouse  each  once;  but  I  shall  not  be 
able  to  take  the  ticket  of  either  for  want  of  money; 
this  will  be  something  against  me  but  I  must  put  up 
with  it. 

"I  will  now  give  you  an  account  of  my  expenses 
since  I  left  home.  For  the  journey  I  expended  $15 
Dollars  including  stage  hire.  For  ticket  $120.  For 
boarding  $10.  For  wood  and  candles  $6.60.  Discount 
$11.  Expenses  before  I  came  to  my  lodging  $3.  Wash- 
ing and  shoe  blacking,  &c,  $2  ...  Which  leaving  me  a 
very  light  purse.  I  expect  I  shall  need  some  money.  .  . 

"To  be  here  without  money  is  not  very  pleasant. 
But  I  need  not  speak  of  this,  I  know  you  will  do  what 
you  can. 

Pupils  with  light  purses  had  little  chance  to  get  an 
education  on  equal  terms  with  the  rich  until  the  passage 
of  the  school  law  of  1818,  but  until  this  was  amended 
in  1836  there  was  still  much  to  be  desired.  Since  that 
time,  however,  the  schools  of  Pennsylvania  have  be- 
come noted  for  their  excellence  and  thoroughness. 


VIII 
WISE  AND  OTHERWISE 

SUPERSTITION  IN  1716— THE  LIFE  OF  A  WOMAN  WHO  MINDS  HER  OWN 
BUSINESS — BETWEEN  NOSE  AND  CHIN — "NOT  JOHN,  BUT  THE  DEMI- 
JOHN"— TIME  TO  BURY  WEST  PHILADELPHIA — "Miss  KITTY  CUT-A- 
DASH" — ODE  TO  A  MARKET  STREET  GUTTER 

AN  'incident   that   shows  how  far  away  are    the 
early  days  of  Philadelphia  was  related  in  the 
Journal  of  Rev.   Andreas  Sandel  on  January 
12, 1716.    It  is  evident  that  he  really  believed  the  things 
of  which  he  told,  and  that  he  was  ready  to  encourage 
the  ignorant  husband  and  wife  in  a  delusion  that  sa- 
vored of  the  Middle  Ages.    The  story  should  be  read  as 
he  told  it: 

"A  dreadful  thing  happened  in  Philadelphia,  to  the 
wife  of  a  butcher,  who  had  quarreled  with  her  husband. 
He  asked  her  to  make  their  bed,  but  she  refused.  Con- 
tinuing to  refuse,  he  told  her  he  would  turn  her  out  of 
the  house,  but  she  told  him  if  he  did  so,  she  would  break 
every  window  pane,  and  invoked  the  Devil  to  come  for 
her  if  she  did  not  do  it.  The  husband  led  her  out  of  the 
house,  she  became  highly  excited,  broke  some  of  the 
panes,  and  through  the  kitchen  made  her  way  up  to 
the  attic,  with  a  candle,  and  laid  down  on  the  bed 
greatly  disturbed  on  account  of  her  promise.  Then 
she  heard  somebody  coming  up  the  stairs,  but  saw  no 
one — this  was  repeated  for  half  an  hour.  Becoming 
more  and  more  agitated,  fearing  her  awful  invocation 
was  about  to  be  realized,  she  went  down  to  her  husband, 
telling  him  of  her  anguish  and  asking  him  to  aid  her. 
Laying  down  on  a  bench  near  the  hearth  she  perceived  a 

171 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

dark  human  face,  making  horrid  grimaces  with  mouth 
wide  open  and  the  teeth  gnashing.  Then  she  became 
thoroughly  terrified,  and  asked  her  husband  to  read  to 
her  Psalm  XXI,  which  he  did,  and  the  face  disappeared. 
Soon  afterwards  she  perceived  at  the  window,  one  of 
which  she  had  broken  panes,  that  some  one  was  standing 
there  with  both  arms  extended  through  the  window,  by 
which  her  fright  was  made  greater.  Then  the  figure 
approached  and  passed  her  .  .  .  Her  husband  then 
clasped  his  arms  around  her,  when  the  fumes  of  brim- 
stone became  so  strong  they  could  not  remain  in  doors. 
At  one  o'clock  she  sent  for  the  minister,  who  also  came 
and  prayed  with  her  the  next  day.  Many  persons 
visited  her,  but  she  had  to  hold  her  hands  over  her 
knees  to  keep  from  trembling." 

Writers  of  journals  in  colonial  days  usually  showed 
more  sense  than  Mr.  Sandel,  though  often  they  were 
quite  bombastic  in  their  effusions,  as  when  Sarah 
Eve,  in  1773,  wrote: 

"Will  fortune  never  cease  to  persecute  us?  but  why 
complain!  for  at  the  worst  what  is  poverty!  it  is  living 
more  according  to  nature — luxury  is  not  nature  but 
art — does  not  poverty  always  bring  dependence?  No, 
a  person  that  is  poor  could  they  divest  themselves  of 
opinions  is  more  independent  than  one  that  is  not  so, 
as  the  one  limits  his  wants  and  expectations  to  his  cir- 
cumstances, the  other  knows  no  bounds  therefore  is 
more  dependent  in  many  senses  of  the  word — 'happy  is 
the  man  that  expects  nothing,  for  he  shall  not  be 
disappointed.'  Poverty  without  pride  is  nothing,  but 
with  it  is  the  very  deuce!  But  surely  there  must  be 
something  more  dreadful  in  it  than  I  can  see,  when  a 
former  acquaintance  and  one  that  pretended  a  friend- 
ship for  another,  such  as  Nancy  T did  .  .  .  will 

always  run  from  you  as  though  poverty   were  really 
infectious.     The  lady  I  mentioned  will  cut  down  an 
172 


WISE    AND   OTHERWISE 

alley  or  walk  herself  into  a  perspiration  rather  than 
acknowledge  she  has  ever  seen  you  before,  or  if  it  so 
happen  she  cannot  help  speaking  to  you,  it  is  done  in  so 
slight  a  manner  and  with  so  much  confusion,  that,  were 
it  not  for  this  plague  'Pride'  I  should  enjoy  it  above  all 
things.  However,  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  feel  myself 
in  many  respects  as  much  superior  to  her  as  she  is  to  me 
in  point  of  fortune  yet  for  years,  I  may  say,  we  were 
almost  inseparable,  there  was  scarce  a  wish  or  thought 
that  one  of  us  had,  that  was  not  as  ardently  desired  by 
the  other;  if  we  were  eight  and  forty  hours  apart,  it  was 
looked  upon  as  an  age,  two  or  three  messages  and  as 
many  letters  passed  between  us  in  that  time.  And 
will  it  be  credited,  when  I  say,  that  without  one  word  of 
difference  we  have  not  been  ten  mimutes  together  or  at 
each  other's  house  in  two  years  and  upwards." 

Once  again  the  fair  journalist  moralized  when  she 
wrote,  on  the  fifth  anniversary  of  her  father's  departure 
to  Jamaica,  a  departure  made  necessary  by  business 
reverses : 

"Happy  mortals  are  we,  that  we  cannot  dive  into 
futurity!  if  we  could  how  pleasure  would  be  anticipated 
until  it  become  tasteless,  and  the  knowledge  of  distant 
evil  make  us  utterly  insensible  to  the  joys  of  present 
good," 

Elizabeth  Drinker  also  was  fond  of  moralizing. 
A  favorite  subject  was  the  habit  of  keeping  a  journal. 
In  1799  she  wrote: 

"With  respect  to  keeping  a  Diary — when  I  began 
this  year  I  intended  this  book  for  memorandums,  nor 
is  it  anything  else.  Ye  habit  of  scribbling  something 
every  night  led  me  on — as  what  I  write  answers  no 
other  purpose  than  to  help  ye  memory.  I  have  seen 
Diaries  of  different  complections — some  were  amusing, 
others  instructive,  and  others  replete  with  what  might 
much  better  be  left  alone. 

173 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"My  simple  Diary  comes  under  none  of  those  de- 
scriptions. The  first  I  never  aimed  at,  for  ye  second  I 
am  not  qualified,  ye  third  may  I  ever  avoid.  Tho'  I  have 
had  opportunities  and  incitements,  sometimes,  to  say 
severe  things,  and  perhaps  with  strict  justice,  yet  I 
was  never  prone  to  speak  my  mind,  much  less  to  write 
or  record  anything  that  might  at  a  future  day  give  pain 
to  any  one.  The  children,  or  ye  children's  children  of 
the  present  day,  may  be  quite  innocent  of  their  parents' 
duplicity :  how  wrong  it  is  to  put  on  record  anything  to 
wound  ye  feelings  of  innocent  persons,  to  gratify  present 
resentment.  I  have  seen  frequent  instances  of  people, 
in  the  course  of  time,  change  their  opinions  of  men  and 
things — and  sometimes  be  astonished  by  pique  or 
prejudice;  yet  perhaps,  tho'  convinced  that  they  have 
been  wrong,  unwilling  to  tear  or  spoil  what  they  have 
wrote,  and  leave  it  to  do  future  mischief." 

In  verse  the  author  of  the  diary  once  expressed 

her  hatred  of  gossip : 

"I  stay  much  at  home,  and  my  business  I  mind, 
Take  note  of  ye  weather,  and  how  blows  the  wind, 
The  changes  of  Seasons,  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars, 
The  setting  of  Venus,  and  rising  of  Mars. 
Birds,  Beasts,  and  Insects,  and  more  I  could  mention, 
That  pleases  my  leisure,  and  draws  my  attention. 
But  respecting  my  neighbors,  their  egress  and  regress, 
Their  Coaches  and  Horses,  their  dress  and  their  address, 
What  matches  are  making,  who's  plain,  and  who's  gay, 
I  leave  to  their  Parents  or  Guardians  to  say : 
For  most  of  these  things  are  out  of  my  way. 
But  to  those,  where  my  love  and  my  duty  doth  bind, 
More  than  most  other  subjects  engages  my  mind." 

Several  times  she  meditated  on  the  passage  of  time 

and  the  loss  of  opportunities.    On  these  occasions  she 

dropped  into  rhyme,  a  thing  she  did  not  find  it  difficult 

to  do.    On  August  31, 1794,  she  penned  the  feeling  lines : 

174 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THOMAS    AND    JULIANA    PENN 
rnolds,  in  the  p 
'ennsylvania) 


(From  the  painting  by  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  in  the  possession  of  the  Historical  Society 
of  Pennsy 


.  WISE   AND   OTHERWISE 

"Who  could  have  thought  that  ye  season  was  past, 
Or  that  time  rolled  so  swiftly  away, 
When  on  a  review  from  the  first  to  the  last, 
Finds  this  is  the  last  summer's  day." 

And  on  January  31,  1795,  she  said: 

"More  than  one  twelfth  of  the  New  year  gone  and 

passed, 

The  other  elevenths  will  certainly  fly  away  as  fast, 
Then  let  us  daily  keep  in  mind  what  we  at  school 

were  taught, 
That  every  moment  of  our  time  is  still  with  mercy 

fraught." 

Mrs.  Drinker  needed  a  little  of  the  sense  of  humor 
possessed  by  Jacob  Longstreth  who,  so  the  story 
is  told,  one  day  met  in  his  counting  house  Joseph 
Crukshank,  a  Quaker  friend,  Edward  Sheepshank, 
and  Maltby  John  Littleboy.  The  thought  of  this  col- 
lection of  incongruous  names  was  too  much  for  the 
business  man,  and  he  began  to  laugh  and  to  ring  the 
changes  on  them  until  the  staid  Quaker  was  out  of 
patience. 

How  Mr.  Longstreth  would  have  enjoyed  talking 
with  Judge  Richard  Peters,  of  Belmont,  of  whom 
the  wittiest  men  Philadelphia  ever  produced.  Some  of 
Samuel  Breck  tells  in  his  Memoirs,  certainly  one  of 
the  Judge's  sallies  have  become  famous. 

Mr.  Breck  says  that  Judge  Peters  was  once  at  supper 
in  Philadelphia  in  company  with  Judge  Bushrod 
Washington,  who  presided  over  the  United  States 
/ircuit  Court,  in  which  Judge  Peters  sat  as  a  Junior 
Fudge.  The  host  repeatedly  urged  Judge  Peters  to 
it  some  duck,  but  he  constantly  refused.  At  length, 

175 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

being  again  pressed,  he  said,  "Give  the  duck  to  my 
brother  Washington,  for  he  is  the  mouthpiece  of  the 
Court." 

Another  story  told  of  Judge  Peters  has  to  do  with  his 
sharp  nose  and  chin.  As  he  grew  old  these  approached 
each  other.  A  friend  observed  to  him  that  his  chin 
and  nose  would  soon  be  at  loggerheads.  "Very  likely," 
was  the  reply;  "hard  words  often  pass  between  them." 

Judge  Peters  was  once  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Assembly.  One  of  the  members  in  crossing  the  room 
tripped  on  the  carpet  artel  fell  flat.  The  House  burst 
into  laughter;  but  the  Judge,  with  the  utmost  gravity, 
cried,  "Order,  order,  gentlemen;  do  you  not  see  that 
aVemDer  is  on  the  floor?" 

The  genial  Judge  was  seated  one  day  at  the  fish 
club  [The  State  in  Schuylkill].  At  his  side  was  General 
Wharton,  the  President  of  the  Club.  When  the  wine 
gave  out,  the  General  called,  "We  want  more  wine; 
please  to  call  John."  But  the  wit  of  the  Philadelphia 
bar  put  in,  instantly,  "If  you  want  more  wine,  you 
had  better  call  for  the  demijohn." 

Another  opportunity  came  soon  after  "a  gentleman 
by  the  name  of  Vaux"  was  stopped  by  two  footpads 
near  Philadelphia.  He  had  no  money  with  him,  so 
he  was  allowed  to  pass.  Three  days  after,  the  Judge's 
son,  in  company  with  another  wayfarer,  was  stopped 
by  the  same  highwaymen  and  robbed  of  a  gold  watch 
and  forty  dollars.  When  the  Judge  heard  of  this,  he 
exclaimed,  "Oh,  I  know  too  well  the  luck  of  my  family 
to  suppose  it  would  be  with  one  of  its  members  as  it 
was  the  other  day — Vox  et  praeterea  nihil" 

Mr.  Breck  told  also  of  a  day  when  a  very  fat  and  a 

176 


WISE   AND   OTHERWISE 

very  slim  man  stood  at  the  entrance  of  a  bar  into 
which  the  Judge  wished  to  pass.  He  stopped  for  a 
moment  that  they  might  make  way,  but,  perceiving 
that  they  were  not  planning  to  move,  and  being  urged 
by  the  master  of  the  house  to  come  in,  he  pushed 
between  them,  exclaiming,  "Here  I  go,  then,  through 
thick  and  thin." 

One  more  story  of  this  wit  of  Belmont.  Some  time 
after  he  laid  out  the  town  of  Mantua  (West  Philadel- 
phia) the  project  languished.  Suddenly  some  im- 
provement in  the  neighborhood  renewed  his  hope.  One 
of  his  acquaintances  remarked  that  he  had  better  now 
complete  the  laying  out  of  the  town.  "Yes,  yes," 
replied  the  Judge;  "it  is  high  time  indeed  to  lay  it 
out,  for  it  has  been  dead  these  two  years." 

Another  Philadelphia  worthy  who  flourished  during 
Judge  Peters'  younger  days,  was  Edward  Shippen.  He, 
too,  had  a  spark  of  humor.  Once  for  his  grandson, 
Allen  Burd,  he  wrote  lines  in  Latin  which  were  trans- 
lated thus: 

"From  food  when  it  is  hash, 
From  a  young  doctor  when  he  is  rash, 
From  foe  reconciled, 
And  from  woman  wild, 
Lord,  keep  this  child." 

Francis  Hopkinson,  too,  was  ready  to  drop  into 
rhyme  on  occasion.  Once,  in  imitation  of  II  Penseroso, 
he  contributed  to  The  American  Magazine  a  poem 
dedicated  to  Dr.  William  Smith,  first  Provost  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  closing  lines  referred 
to  Dr.  Smith's  house  at  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  which  is 
standing: 

12  177 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"And  thou,  0  Smith!  my  more  than  friend 
To  whom  these  artless  lines  I  send, 
Once  more  thy  wonted  candor  bring, 
And  hear  the  muse  you  taught  to  sing; 

"The  muse  that  strives  to  win  your  ear, 
By  themes  your  soul  delights  to  hear, 
And  loves,  like  you,  in  sober  mood, 
To  meditate  of  just  and  good. 

"Exalted  themes!  di vines t  maid! 
Sweet  melancholy,  raise  thy  head; 
With  languid  look,  oh,  quickly  come, 
And  lead  me  to  thy  Hermit  home. 

"Then  let  my  frequent  feet  be  seen 
On  yonder  steep  romantic  green 
Along  whose  yellow  gravelly  side 
Schuylkill  sweeps  his  gentle  tide. 

"Rude,  rough  and  rugged  rocks  surrounding, 
And  clash  of  broken  waves  resounding, 
Where  waters  fall  with  loud'ning  roar 
Rebillowing  down  the  hilly  shore." 

In  1782  Dr.  Smith  was  made  the  excuse  of  lines  by 
some  poetaster  whose  name  is  not  known  to  fame.  A 
proposition  had  been  made  to  Dr.  Smith  in  the  Com- 
mittee Room  of  the  General  Assembly,  to  add  a  rider 
to  the  bill  for  restoring  the  charter  and  property  of 
the  College  of  Philadelphia.  To  this  proposition  he 
made  reply.  The  following  extempore  lines  referred 
to  the  reply: 

"On  mischief  bent,  by  Ew-ng  sent, 

With  Rider  in  his  hands, 
Came  Doctor  Guts,  with  mighty  struts, 

And  then  of  Smith  demands: 
178 


WISE   AND   OTHERWISE 

"This  Rider,  Sir,  to  save  all  stir, 

By   Mister  Ew-ng's   will, 
I  bring  in  haste,  pray  get  some  paste 
And  tack  it  to  your  bill. 

"Smith  lifts  his  eyes — 'Hoot  mun,"  he  cries, 

'Take  back  your  stupid  stuff; 
Our  answer's  brief — the  crafty  thief 
Has   ridden    long   enough.' ' 

Alexander  Wilson,  also,  loved  the  Schuylkill.  His 
residence  at  Gray's  Ferry,  where  he  taught  school, 
gave  him  opportunity  for  many  walks  along  the  banks 
of  the  fair  stream.  In  1804  he  told  of  some  of  his 
thoughts  in  "The  Rural  Walk."  Four  stanzas  of  the 
poem  may  be  quoted: 

"Down  to  the  left  was  seen  afar 

The  whitened  spire  of  sacred  name, 
And  Ars'nal,  where  the  god  of  war 
Has  hung  his  spears  of  bloody  fame. 

"Then  upward  where  it  gently  bends, 

And  Say's  red  fortress  tow'rs  in  view, 
The  floating  bridge  its  length  extends— 
A  lovely  scene  forever  new. 

"There  market-maids  in  lovely   row, 

With  wallets  white,  were  riding  home, 
And  thund'ring  gigs,   with  powdered  beaux, 
Through  Gray's  green  festive  shade  to  roam. 

"Sweet  flows  the  ScuhylkilPs  winding  tide 

By  Bartram's  emblossomed  bowers, 
Where  nature  sports  in  all  her  pride 

Of  choicest  plants  and  fruit  and  flowers." 

The  references  in  these  lines  were  of  course,  to  Christ 
Church,  the  Schuylkill,  Dr.  Benjamin  Say's  house 
at  Gray's  Ferry,  and  Gray's  Garden. 

179 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Other  local  touches  were  given  in  "The  Philadel- 
phiad,"  an  odd  collection  of  all  sorts  of  verses,  published 
in  1784.  In  this  volume  rhyme  seemed  more  important 
than  either  meter  or  sense,  as  is  evident  from  this  extract : 

"Sweet  Philadelphia!  lov'liest  of  the  lawn, 
Where  rising  greatness  opes  its  pleasing  dawn, 
Where  daring  commerce  spreads  the  adventurous  sail, 
Cleaves  thro'  the  wave,  and  drives  before  the  gale> 
Where  genius  yields  her  kind  conducting  lore, 
And  learning  spreads  its  inexhaustible  store: — 
Kind  seat  of  industry,  where  art  may  see 
Its  labours  fostered  to  its  due  degree, 
Where  merit  meets  the  due  regard  it  claims, 
Tho'  envy  dictates  and  tho'  malice  flames: — 
Thou  fairest  daughter  of  Columbia's  train 
The  great  Emporium  of  western  plain: — 
Best  seat  of  science,  friend  to  ev'ry  art, 
That  mends,  improves,  or  dignifies  the  heart." 

A  gem  from  the  miscellany  in  the  second  volume 
of  The  Philadelphiad,  is  "Miss  Kitty  Cut-a-Dash,  or 
the  Arch  Street  Flirt": 

"Observe  that  foot,  how  nice  the  shoe  it  fits, 
Her  waist  how  slender,  how  her  gown  it  fits,  \ 
How  bold  she  walks,  what  fierceness  in  her  air, 
And  how  the  crowd  submissively  do  stare, 
And  hail  her  goddess  of  the  beaut 'pus  throng; 
But  cease,  good  folks,  your  high  opinion's  wrong. 
First  at  her  toilet  Kitty  spends  the  morn, 
To  curl  and  patch,  and  face  &  neck  adorn; 
She  studies  fashions  with  religious  care, 
And  scoffs  religion  with  a  scornful  air, 
Thinks  that  the  ways  to  heaven  are  laid  with  gauze, 
And  that  religion  has  no  modern  laws: 
When  full  equipt  she  rambles  through  the  town, 
Or  with  her  aunt  some  character  runs  down, 
180 


PROFILES    CUT    BY    MAJOR    ANDRE 

(From  the  original  in  the  possession  of  the  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia) 


THE    CALASH 
(Invented  1765;  worn  till  about  1830) 


WEATHER   VANE    AND    SCARECROW    AT    CHAMPLOST 
(House  built  1742) 


WISE   AND   OTHERWISE 

Or  with  an  air  important  through  the  shops, 
She  cheapens  fans  and  talks  with  ruffled  fops: 
The  young  apprentice  knows  her  tricks  full  well, 
For  tossing  goods  without  the  hopes  to  sell; 
And  spruce  young  milliners  tlo  often  curse 
Her  wanton  taste  and  coin  unsulli'd  purse: 
Sweethearts  by  dozens  in  her  train  appears, 
Altho'  the  nymph  is  falling  into  years; 
They  come  like  seasons  and  like  seasons  go, 
This  one  forgets  her,  that  one  answers  no; 
And  all  despise  and  seek  some  happier  dame 
Less  fond  of  dress  and  more  unknown  to  fame." 

There  was  far  more  of  humor  and  certainly  as  much 
poetry  in  the  parody  which  The  Portfolio  printed 
with  the  title,  "  Ode  to  a  Market  Street  Gutter " : 

"O  sweetest  gutter!  though  a  clown, 
I  love  to  see  thee  running  down: 
Or  mark  thee  stop  awhile,  then  free 
From  ice,  jog  on  again,  like  me; 
Or  like  the  lasses  whom  I  meet, 
Who,  rambling,  stray  along  the  street, 
As  if  they  had  nowhere  to  go! 
At  times,  so  rapid  is  thy  flow, 
That  did  the  cits  not  wish  in  vain 
Thou  woould'st  be  in  the  pump  again; 
But  like  a  pig,  whose  fates  deny 
To  find  again  his  wonted  sty, 
You  turn,  and  stop,  and  run,  and  turn, 
Yet  ne'er  shall  find  your  'native  urn.' 

Last  Thursday  morn,  so  very  cold, 
A  morn  not  better  felt  than  told, 
Then  first  in  all  its  bright  array 
Did  I  thy  frozen  form  survey; 
And  goodness !  what  a  great  big  steeple, 
What  sights  of  houses,  and  such  people! 

181 


THE    ROMANCE    OF   OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

And  then  I  thought,  did  I  not  stutter, 
But  verse  could,  like  some  poets,  utter, 
How  much  I'd  praise  thee,  sweetest  gutter!" 

That  ability  to  enjoy  such  doggerel,  at  proper 
times,  is  never  a  hindrance  to  serious  thought  and 
earnest  expression  was  proved  by  the  experiences  of 
early  Philadelphians,  whose  minds  stood  just  as  much 
in  need  of  a  vacation  as  do  the  minds  of  thoughtful 
men  and  women  of  the  present  day. 


IX 

THE  QUAINT  CHURCH  CUSTOMS  OF 
LONG  AGO 

WHEN  STEEPLES  WERE  SCARCE — TROUBLESOME  CHAINS  AND  CANDLE  LIGHT 
— A  PEW  FOR  PRESIDENT  ADAMS — THE  COMING  OF  GEORGE  WHITE- 
FIELD — THEY  WANTED  HIM  TO  "CINDLE  A  DEAD  COAL" — ALL  THIS 
FOR  $300  PER  YEAR! — A  BUSY  SEXTON — AN  INVITATION  TO  A  FUNERAL 
— "PRANCING  IT  THROUGH  THE  STREETS" 

IF  there  had  been  such  a  thing  as  an  airship  during 
the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  if 
an  aeronaut  flying  over  Philadelphia  had  formed 
his  opinion  of  the  city's  ecclesiastical  progress  by  the 
presence  or  absence  of  church  steeples,  he  would  have 
been  compelled  to  decide  that  it  was  a  most  irreligious 
city.  But  the  truth  was  that  many  of  the  earlier  build- 
ings set  apart  for  God's  worship  were  Meeting  Houses, 
and  those  who  worshiped  in  them  did  not  believe  in 
steeples  any  more  than  they  believed  in  monuments 
hi  their  burying  grounds,  and  those  who  built  churches 
for  the  various  denominations  found  it  so  difficult 
to  raise  funds  for  the  absolutely  essential  parts  of  the 
structures  that  the  building  of  steeples  was  left  until 
a  more  convenient  season. 

The  first  steeple  of  any  size  was  that  of  Christ 
Church.  This  was  not  built  until  1752-3,  nearly  fifty 
years  after  the  beginning  of  the  building.  When  the 
decision  was  reached  to  complete  the  church  by  the 
addition  of  the  steeple,  subscriptions  were  invited. 
Three  hundred  citizens  of  Philadelphia  made  liberal 

183 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

response,  but  the  amount  raised  was  not  sufficient. 
Accordingly,  the  vestry  met  to  see  how  best  to  raise  the 
regaining  funds  "for  finishing  the  steeple  and  pur- 
chasing a  ring  of  bells."  It  was  decided  to  do  this  by  a 
lottery,  a  scheme  for  raising  the  sum  of  one  thousamd 
and  twelve  pounds,  ten  shillings,  by  a  deduction  of 
fifteen  pounds  per  cent,  on  eighteen  thousand  Spanish 
dollars,  commonly  called  pieces  of  eight,  to  be  raised 
by  the  sale  of  four  thousand  five  hundred  tickets,  at 
four  pieces  of  eight  each  ticket. 

"The  Philadelphia  Steeple  Lottery"  was  advertised 
at  once.  Thirteen  men  were  appointed  managers;  of 
these  Benjamin  Franklin  was  one.  These  men  were  to 
sell  tickets  to  all  who  came  to  the  houses  of  the  vendors. 
The  drawing  did  not  complete  the  fund,  and  a  second 
drawing  was  held  in  1753.  The  tickets  read: 

Christ  Church  Lottery 

(1)  Class.     No.  (7493) 

This  intitles  the  Bearer  to 

such  Prize  as  shall  be 

drawn  Against  the 

Number 

In  1754,  soon  after  the  completion  of  the  steeple, 
Captain  Budden  brought  over  from  England  a  chime 
of  eight  bells  for  which  the  bill  was  £560  7s.  With 
the  bells  came  a  man  who  had  assisted  in  making  them. 
He  had  asked  for  the  privilege  of  coming  over  to  hang 
them  in  the  steeple.  Captain  Budden  refused  to  accept 
payment  for  bringing  the  chimes.  Because  of  his 
generosity  it  was  arranged  that  the  bells  should  be 
rung  whenever  his  ship,  the  Myrtella,  should  come  up 
the  Delaware. 

184 


REV.     GEORGE    DUFFIELD,    D.D.,    PASTOR    OF    OLD     PINE     STREET    CHURCH 

AND  CHAPLAIN  IN  THE   REVOLUTION,    ON  WHOSE    HEAD 

THE   BRITISH   SET   A   PRICE 

(From  the  painting  by  George  Polk  in  Independence  Hall) 


CHAIN    USED    DURING    SERVICES    TO    PROTECT    OLD    PIXE    STREET    CHURCH 

FROM    STREET    TRAFFIC 
(The  original  is  in  the  collection  of  the  Presbyterian  Historical  Society) 


THE    COMMUNION    SERVICE    WHICH    QUEEN    ANNE 
PRESENTED    TO    CHRIST    CHURCH,    1708 


ARCH    STREET,    WITH    THE    SECOND    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH 

(From  an  engraving  by  Birch) 


CHURCH   CUSTOMS  OF  LONG   AGO 

The  steeple  and  the  bells  are  valued  by  those  who 
love  old  Christ  Church  more  than  perhaps  any  other 
possession,  unless  it  be  the  flagon  and  the  chalice  which 
Queen  Anne  gave  to  the  congregation  in  1708. 

When  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  was  built, 
at  Third  and  Arch  Streets,  a  wooden  steeple,  which 
was  also  paid  for  by  a  lottery,  crowned  the  structure. 
The  appearance  of  this  rival  steeple  caused  a  good  deal 
of  jealousy.  The  feeling  found  expression  in  a  bit  of 
doggerel: 

"The  Presbyterians  built  a  church, 
And  fain  would  have  a  steeple; 
We  think  it  may  become  the  church, 
But  not  become  the  people." 

The  Second  Presbyterian  Church  not  long  after- 
wards lost  its  steeple,  because  this  was  decreed  unsafe 
and  was  taken  down.  But  the  day  came  when  the  church 
had  another  distinction.  The  noise  at  Third  and  Arch 
Streets  during  the  hours  of  service  became  so  great 
that  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  city  authorities 
asking  for  relief.  While  nothing  was  done  by  the  city, 
the  state  legislature  stepped  in  and  gave  permission 
for  the  stretching  of  chains  across  the  streets  on  which 
the  church  abutted.  This  was  in  1799.  Thereafter  traffic 
had  to  avoid  the  church  during  service.  Not  only  the 
Second  Church  but  a  number  of  other  churches  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  permission.  The  chains  were  stretched 
from  iron  posts  in  which  they  were  set  in  iron  sockets. 

These  chains  caused  so  much  trouble  that  even- 
tually they  were  removed.  The  records  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  dated  June  4,  1804,  show  that 
"Mr.  William  Page's  Horse  and  Carriage  had  on  the 

185 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

last  Sabbath  run  foul  of  the  chain  placed  across  the 
street  and  injured  it  so  much  as  to  render  it  unfit  for 
use."  Mr.  Fullerton  was  therefore  requested  to  call 
on  Mr.  Page  and  procure  payment  for  the  damage. 

On  another  Sunday  George  F.  Harrison  "drove 
into  town  to  obtain  a  physician  for  some  dying  member 
of  his  father's  family.  In  attempting  to  return  home, 
street  after  street  was  found  to  be  closed  against  them, 
and  much  precious  time  was  consequently  lost."  John 
Moss,  who  witnessed  the  efforts  of  the  frantic  driver 
to  get  free  from  the  maze  of  chains,  was  so  excited  that 
he  took  the  law  into  his  own  hands,  and  took  down  the 
chain  at  Locust  and  Seventh  Streets,  which  guarded 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  Then  he  talked  and 
wrote  so  vigorously  against  the  custom  that  the  chain 
was  never  replaced. 

A  few  years  later  there  was  still  another  change 
that  led  many  of  the  staid  old  Philadelphians  to  shake 
their  heads.  All  lighting  of  churches  was  by  candles, 
even  after  other  means  of  illumination  were  used  else- 
where. It  was  not  until  1819  that  a  committee  in  one 
of  the  oldest  churches  of  the  city  proposed  to  sub- 
stitute lamps  for  candles.  There  was  much  opposi- 
tion to  the  innovation.  But  the  committee  was  not 
ready  to  yield.  The  calculation  was  made  that  it  would 
save  $19.35  over  candles,  even  when  candles  were 
bought  by  the  box.  There  was  the  additional  advan- 
tage that  with  lamps  it  would  not  be  necessary  longer 
to  "  line  out  the  hymns."  "But  oil  will  leak  on  the  peo- 
ple," the  determined  opponents  replied. 

The  objection  managed  to  stand  in  the  way  of  prog- 
ress for  three  years,  but  in  1822  it  was  resolved  to  place 
186 


CHURCH   CUSTOMS    OF   LONG    AGO 

oil  lamps  in  the  north  aisle  of  this  church  as  a  sample 
The  experiment  succeeded  so  well  that  in  1824,  in  this 
church,  candles  made  way  for  oil  lamps  altogether. 

In  the  days  when  candles  were  still  the  unques- 
tioned source  of  light  there  was  spirited  rivalry  among 
some  of  the  churches  for  the  presence  of  lights  of  another 
kind — the  shining  lights  of  Congress  and  the  higher 
officers  of  government.  A  large  number  of  the  brightest 
men  who  were  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the 
nation  were  earnest  Christians,  and  on  Sunday  they 
made  their  way  regularly  to  the  churches  of  their  choice. 

The  pew  set  apart  in  Christ  Church  as  the  gov- 
ernor's pew  was  later  known  as  the  President's  pew. 
There  Washington  sat  Sunday  after  Sunday.  Dr. 
William  White,  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  once  wrote 
to  an  inquirer  of  the  habit  of  church  attendance  of  the 
first  President  of  the  nation: 

"The  father  of  our  country,  whenever  in  the  city, 
as  well  as  during  the  revolutionary  war  as  in  his  Pres- 
idency, attended  divine  service  in  Christ  Church  of 
this  city,  excepting  during  one  winter  1781-82,  when, 
being  here  for  the  taking  of  Measures  with  Congress 
towards  the  opening  of  the  next  campaign,  he  rented  a 
house  near  St.  Peter's  Church,  then  in  parochial  union 
with  Christ  Church.  During  that  season  he  attended 
regularly  St.  Peter's.  His  behavior  was  always  serious 
and  attentive;  but  as  your  letter  seems  to  intend  an 
inquiry  on  the  point  of  kneeling  during  the  service,  I 
owe  it  to  the  truth  to  disclose,  that  I  never  saw  him  in 
the  said  attitude.  During  his  Presidency,  our  vestry 
provided  him  with  a  pew,  ten  yards  in  front  of  the 
reading-desk.  It  was  habitually  occupied  by  himself, 
by  Mrs.  Washington,  who  was  regularly  a  communicant 
and  by  his  secretaries." 

187 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

In  the  minutes  of  the  session  of  the  First  Presby- 
Church,  whose  organization  dates  from  1698,  is  an 
interesting  record  concerning  Washington's  successor: 

"Monday,  February  6,  1797 

"The  following  arrangement  was  made  to  accom- 
modate John  Adams,  who  will  shortly  be  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  with  a  Pew  in  the  church,  during 
the  time  he  shall  be  President,  viz.  At  the  request  of 
the  Corporation  Henry  Keppele  and  the  family  of  the 
late  Mr.  Andrew  Caldwell  very  politely  agreed  to  give 
up  their  pew  No.  92  for  that  purpose  &  to  accommodate 
themselves  in  other  parts  of  the  Church;  the  corpora- 
tion therefore  ordered  the  pew  No.  92  to  be  fitted  up  in  a 
decent  Manner  and  an  offer  thereof  made  to  Mr.  Adams 
President  Elect  for  the  accommodation  of  himself  and 
family  during  the  time  he  shall  be  President  of  the 
United  States." 

On  February  8,  1797,  John  Adams  wrote  to  the 
secretary  of  the  corporation,  saying: 

"I  accept  with  pleasure  the  handsome  accommo- 
dation they  have  been  pleased  to  offer  me,  and  ...  I 
shall  always  be  ready  to  make  any  compensation,  that 
is  expected  of  the  possessors  of  pews  in  that  elegant 
church." 

From  the  beginning  of  the  city's  history  numbers 
of  the  wealthy  and  prominent  as  well  as  many  of  the 
poorer  and  more  obscure  citizens  attended  church  with 
at  least  a  degree  of  faithfulness.  But  there  were  al- 
ways those  who  felt  that  the  city  was  well  on  the  road 
to  awful  destruction.  One  of  these  was  Thomas 
Chalkley,  the  Quaker  preacher  who  spent  many  years 
in  going  up  and  down  the  country  and  in  making 
voyages  to  the  Quaker  colony  in  Barbados.  Early  in 
188 


CHURCH   CUSTOMS   OF   LONG   AGO 

1727,  while  making  one  of  these  voyages,  he  wrote 
out  the  story  of  his  dire  forebodings.  He  told  of  a 
wakeful  night  just  before  he  left  Philadelphia.  It  was 
then  borne  in  upon  him — 

"That  the  Lord  was  angry  with  the  people  of  Phil- 
adelphia and  Pennsylvania,  because  of  the  great  sins 
and  wickedness  which  was  committed  by  the  inhabi- 
tants, in  public  houses,  and  elsewhere:  and  that  the 
Lord  was  angry  with  the  magistrates  also,  because  they 
use  not  their  power  as  they  might  do,  in  order  to  sup- 
press wickedness;  and  do  not  so  much  as  they  ought, 
put  the  laws  already  made  in  execution  against  pro- 
faneness  and  immorality:  and  the  Lord  is  angry  with 
the  representatives  of  the  people  of  the  land,  because 
they  take  not  so  much  care  to  suppress  vice  and 
wickedness,  .  .  .  and  it  was  shewed  me,  that  the  anger  of 
the  Most  High  would  still  be  against  us,  until  there 
was  a  greater  reformation  in  these  things." 

After  penning  this  jeremiad  Chalkley  said : 

"It  is  worthy  of  commendation,  that  our  governor, 
Thomas  Lloyd,  sometimes  in  the  evening  before  he 
went  to  rest,  us't  to  go  in  person  to  public  houses,  and 
order  the  people  he  found  there  to  their  own  houses, 
till  at  length,  he  was  instrumental  to  promote  better 
order,  and  did  in  a  great  measure,  suppress  vice  and 
immorality  hi  the  city." 

Thirteen  years  after  the  date  of  the  Chalkley  in- 
dictment there  was  tremendous  excitement  in  the  city 
because  of  the  coming  of  George  Whitefield,  the  great 
evangelist,  who  drew  enormous  crowds  wherever 
he  preached.  The  people  were  attracted  by  his  elo- 
quence and  his  earnestness,  and  thousands  of  them 
were  persuaded  to  change  their  manner  of  life. 

A  striking  picture  of  the  impression  made  in  the 

189 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

city  by  the  evangelist  was  given  by  Richard  Hockley 
in  a  letter  to  Bernard  Hannington,  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  In  the  middle  of  a  business  message  he 
passed  to  the  subject  that  was  so  profoundly  interesting 
the  en  tire  city: 

"I  cant  pass  over  in  Silence  to  you  the  surprizing 
Change  and  alteration  I  see  in  the  People  of  this  Place 
since  that  Shining  Light  the  Revd  Mr  Whitefield  has 
been  amongst  'em  who  no  doubt  you  have  heard  of, 
Religion  is  the  Topick  of  Conversation  and  they  all 
have  it  much  in  their  mouths  pray  God  it  may  sink 
deep  into  their  Hearts  so  as  to  Influence  their  Actions 
and  Conversation,  make  them  good  Neighbours  and 
sincere  Friends,  which  I  know  you  will  say  Amen  to, 
I  have  heard  him  several  times  here  &  in  So  Carolina 
and  had  several  private  Conversations  with  him,  he 
appears  to  me  to  be  a  very  sincere  person  Zealous  for 
his  Masters  Cause,  and  justly  admired  for  his  Elegant 
though  plain  Language  and  easy  to  be  understood,  and 
for  the  Serious  Vein  of  Piety  that  runs  through  all  his 
Exhortations  crowded  after  by  Multitudes  tho  much 
traduced  by  some  who  have  no  true  sense  of  Religion, 
he  is  endeavouring  to  reclaim  a  wicked  Vicious  and 
Sinfull  Age,  and  that  with  great  authority  and  Courage, 
and  ...  I  never  heard  or  saw  his  Fellow." 

The  Pennsylvania  Gazette  of  May  1,  1740,  made  an 
announcement  concerning  Mr.  Whitefield  that  later 
stirred  up  some  controversy : 

"Since  Mr.  Whitefield's  Preaching  here  the  Dancing 
School  Assembly  and  Concert  Room  have  been  shut  up 
as  inconsistent  with  the  Doctrine  of  the  Gospel:  And 
though  the  gentlemen  concern'd  caus'd  the  door  to  be 
broke  open  again,  we  are  informed  that  no  company 
came  the  last  Assembly  Night." 
190 


CHURCH    CUSTOMS    OF    LONG   AGO 

In  the  next  issue,  the  editor,  Benjamin  Franklin, 
said  that  offense  had  been  given  by  the  notice  to  "the 
Gentlemen  concerned  in  the  Entertainments."  They 
insisted  that  Whitefield  was  deceiving  the  people, 
that  he  was  using  unfair  means,  that  he  had  bought 
up  all  the  printers  so  that  nothing  could  be  printed 
against  him.  They  insisted  that  his  "Doctrine  and 
Practice"  should  be  exposed  and  the  people  undeceived. 
Though  Franklin  did  not  like  the  tone  of  the  letter, 
he  printed  it  as  he  received  it. 

The  letter  charged  that  William  Seward,  "who 
came  into  the  Place  as  an  Attendant  and  intimate 
Companion  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  inconsistently  .  .  .  with 
the  Doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  took  upon  him  to  invade 
other  Men's  Property."  Contrary  to  law  and  justice 
he  had  "shut  up  the  Doors  of  the  Concert  Room  with- 
out any  previous  Application  to  or  consent  had  of  any 
of  the  members."  It  further  intimated  that  the  doors 
remained  closed  that  night  because  the  members 
thought  it  was  "below  them  to  take  any  Notice  of  it." 
They  "met  the  night  after  according  to  Custom;  and 
the  Tuesday  following  the  Company  met  to  Dance 
as  they  used  to  do;  but  the  Assembly  being  only  for 
the  Winter  Season  is  now  discontinued  of  Course  and 
the  Concert  being  for  the  whole  year  still  goes  on  as 
usual." 

The  writer  felt  that  this  account  of  Seward's  be- 
havior was  in  keeping  with  "his  low  craft  in  getting 
this  Paragraph  foisted  into  the  News-Paper  just  before 
his  Departure  for  England  in  order  to  carry  it  along 
with  him  and  spread  his  Master's  Fame  as  tho'  he  had 
met  with  Great  Success  among  the  better  Sort  of  People 

191 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

in  Penna.  when  at  the  same  Time  to  his  highest  mor- 
tification he  can't  but  be  sensible  that  he  has  been 
neglected  by  them;  and  were  they  to  deliver  their 
Sentiments  of  him  with  the  same  Freedom  he  takes 
with  others  he  wou'd  presently  discover  they  had 
both  him  and  his  mischievous  Tenets  in  the  utmost 
contempt." 

They  went  on  to  declare  that  this  was  not  the  only 
misrepresentation  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  success,  "for*in 
of  all  those  Articles  of  News  which  give  an  account 
the  vast  Crowds  who  compose  his  Audience  the  Num- 
bers are  always  exaggerated  being  often  doubled  and 
sometimes  trebled,"  The  accounts  being  put  in  the 
papers  by  themselves,  were  frequently  held  to  be  evi- 
dence of  their  "little  Regard  to  Truth." 

But  Whitefield  went  on  his  way  serenely,  doing  his 
work  and  securing  wonderful  results.  Several  times 
he  returned  to  Philadelphia,  but  always  there  were 
those  who  opposed  him.  In  1764  the  Rector  of  Trinity 
Church,  Oxford,  wrote: 

"I  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  the  Society  that 
my  congregation  appeared  to  be  more  steady  than  for- 
merly and  better  fixed  in  their  principles,  notwith- 
standing the  powerful  efforts  that  Mr.  Whitefield  is 
now  making  in  Philadelphia  ...  St.  Paul's  the  college 
and  Presbyterian  Meeting  Houses  were  open  to  him; 
but  the  salutary  admonitions  of  His  Grace  of  Canter- 
bury to  the  Rector  etc  of  Christ  Church  and  St.  Peter's 
have  prevented  his  preaching  at  this  time,  in  either 
of  them." 

In  spite  of  the  new  earnestmess  which  possessed 
the  church  by  reason  of  Whitefield's  preaching  funds 
for  church  support  were  sadly  lacking.    In  1772,  when 
192 


GLORIA    DEI    CHURCH 

(Drawn  by  Thomas  Sully) 


INTERIOR    OF    OLD    ST.    DAVID  S    CHURCH,    RADNOR 


ORIGINAL   GABLE   WINDOW  IN   OLD   PINE   STREET   PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

(May  be  seen  by  ascending  to  the  loft) 


INTERIOR   OF   ST.    PETER'S    PROTESTANT   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,    BUILT    1742 


CHURCH    CUSTOMS   OF   LONG   AGO 

a  minister  was  called  to  be  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  it  was  officially  stated  to  him: 

"Our  Funds  for  the  support  of  a  Minister  are  the 
parsonage,  or  £40  p.  ann.  in  lieu  thereof  if  more  agreea- 
ble, the  money  arising  from  the  pews  wch  if  all  let  as  we 
doubt  not  they  soon  wod  be  on  your  settlement  amongst 
us  amount  to  upwards  of  Two  hund  and  thirty  pounds 
a  Year." 

Seven  years  later  the  same  church  in  issuing  a  call 
to  Rev.  Stephen  Gano,  who  was  doing  work  among 
the  soldiers,  said: 

"You  may  Remember  that  Last  year,  you  Recd  a 
Call  from  this  Church  and  Congregation — In  Conse- 
quence of  which  you  paid  us  a  visit — But  your  Stay 
was  too  Short  to  Cindle  the  Dead  Coal  in  a  flaime — we 
are  sensible  at  that  time  things  had  a  gloomy  Apearance 
which  had  no  Doubt  a  Tendency  to  Discourage  you 
from  settling  amongst  us — But  we  Can  with  pleasure 
Informe  you,  things  ware  a  Different  Aspect,  with  us 
at  present  .  .  .  We  have  frequent  Application  for  Pews, 
and  the  Subscription  fills  up  so  fast  So  that  with  those 
and  the  several  Donations  left  for  the  Suporte  of  a 
minister  we  doubt  not  but  we  Shall  be  able  to  Raise  a 
Cumfortable  Suport  for  your  Selfe  and  family." 

But  Mr.  Gano  did  not  see  his  way  to  leave  the  army 
for  the  pastorate;  he  did  not  feel  that  service  to  be  ren- 
dered or  support  assured  in  the  city  field  could  be  com- 
pared to  the  service  and  support  in  the  work  he  was 
doing. 

His  fear  of  the  church's  ability  and  readiness  to 
pay  a  living  salary  seemed  justified  when,  in  1780, 
the  church  paid  a  minister,  for  preaching  four  Sundays, 
at  least  eight  services,  eight  silver  dollars.  The  church 
historian  in  recording  this  says  that  "the  four  Sundays 

13  193 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

he  spent  here  were  not  calculated  to  encourage  ex- 
travagance in  his  family." 

The  standard  of  payment  offered  to  a  minister  in 
that  day  and  the  requirements  made  of  him  cannot 
be  better  shown  than  by  quoting  a  letter  received  in 
1789  by  Benjamin  Chew  of  Philadelphia,  from  his  son, 
Sam  Chew,  in  Chestertown,  Maryland: 

"As  you  have  once  more  embarked  in  public  Business 
for  the  good  of  your  Fellow  Citizens,  in  their  temporal 
Concerns,  I  take  it  for  granted  you  will  excuse  the 
Trouble  I  am  about  to  give  you,  in  a  matter  of  greater 
Importance  We  are  in  immediate  want  of  a  Parson. 
I  could  describe  the  Kind  of  Man  who  would  suit  us  in 
few  words;  as  for  Instance,  he  must  be  unlike  some 
others  we  have  had,  in  everything  but  abilities. 
He  must  be  a  good  Preacher,  a  sound  Divine  and  if  a 
zealous  High  Church  Man,  so  much  the  better.  We 
want  one,  who  will  not  only  preach,  but  live  down  the 
Methodists.  One  who  will  think  it  his  Duty,  to  lead 
the  Asses  to  water,  you  know  what  I  allude  to,  and  not 
one  who  thinks  of  the  Stipend  only.  In  short,  we 
want  a  Man  who  has  a  great  deal  of  the  church  in  his 
heart  and  a  good  deal  of  the  Gentleman  in  his  behavior. 
A  person  whose  name  is  Behn,  has  been  strongly  rec- 
ommended to  us,  and  I  wish  you  to  make  some  inquiries 
about  him  of  Doctor  White.  If  the  Doctor  hesitates, 
I  shall  govern  myself  accordingly,  without  bringing 
him  into  View,  in  the  least.  If  he  can  venture  to  write 
in  his  Favour,  an  application  will  be  made  directly. 
The  living  including  Perquisites,  will  I  apprehend  not 
fall  much,  if  any,  short  of  $300  per  Ann.  Be  pleased 
to  let  me  have  an  answer  soon,  as  I  suspect  another 
Person,  who  is  by  no  means  the  Thing,  is  Thought  of 
by  some  People." 

If  Elizabeth  Fergusson  could  have  read  require- 
194 


CHURCH    CUSTOMS   OF   LONG   AGO 

ments  like  these  would  she  have  felt  like  writing  her 
parody  df  Pope  in  which  she  spoke  of  the  joys  of  the 
man  who  was  called  to  have  oversight  of  such  a  church? 
This  was  her  idea  of  his  life: 

"How  happy  is  the  country  parson's  lot! 
Forgetting  bishops,  as  by  them  forgot; 
Fragrant  of  spirit,  with  an  easy  mind, 
To  all  his  vestry's  votes  he  sits  resigned. 
Of  manners  gentle  and  of  temper  even, 
He  jogs  his  flock,  with  easy  pace,  to  heaven. 
In  Greek  and  Latin  pious  books  he  keeps, 
And,  while  his  clerk  says  psalms,  he  soundly  sleeps. 
His  garden  fronts  the  sun's  sweet  orient  beams, 
And  fat  church  wardens  prompt  his  golden  dreams. 
The  earliest  fruit  in  his  fair  orchard  blooms, 
And  cleanly  pipes  pour  out  tobacco  fumes. 
From  rustic  bridegroom  oft  he  takes  the  ring, 
And  hears  the  milkmaid  plaintive  ballads  sing. 
Back-gammon  cheats  whole  winter  nights  away, 
And  Pilgrim's  Progress  helps  a  rainy  day." 

The  pastor  was  not  the  only  officer  of  the  church 
who  was  expected  to  do  much  work  and  receive  a  very 
meager  living.  The  sexton,  too,  had  a  hard  time  of  it. 
One  Philadelphia  church  in  1806  adopted  rules  for  the 
government  of  this  important  personage  that  bring 
a  smile  to  the  face  of  the  reader: 

"In  consideration  of  the  sum  of  One  Hundred 
Dollars,  annually  to  be  paid  to  me  by  the  Trustees  .  .  . 
I  the  subscriber  do  agree  and  covenant  ...  to  Act  as 
Sexton  .  .  .  and  perform  the  following  Services — I  will 
Keep  a  Register  of  all  the  Burials,  noting  the  Age  and 
Disease  of  the  deceased  which  shall  be  annually  ren- 
dered to  the  Trustees  and  to  commence  from  May 
1806 — I  engage  to  open  the  Doors  and  Windows  of  the 
Church  every  Sabbath  Day  and  such  other  seasons  as 

195 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

may  be  required,  attentively  show  strangers  to  seats, 
dust  the  pews  every  Saturday  and  Sweep  the  House 
entire — Also  to  arrange  the  Sacramental  Tables  before 
every  Communion  Season — attentively  make  and  take 
care  of  the  Fires  in  the  Stoves — Also  to  suspend  the 
Chain  before  the  Church  and  across  Elbow  Lane  every 
Sabbath  both  fore  and  afternoon — Also  to  take  care 
that  the  Burial  Ground  Gates  be  kept  secured,  and 
the  Ground  preserved  from  the  Incession  of  Cows, 
Dogs  or  other  animals,  and  in  general  I  consent  to 
perform  all  the  duties  which  shall  be  required  of  me 
by  the  Trustees  as  Sexton." 

The  files  of  the  early  Philadelphia  newspapers 
give  interesting  facts  concerning  many  of  those  for 
whom  some  sexton  opened  the  gates  of  the  burying 
ground.  There  was,  for  instance,  the  Pennsylvania 
Gazette  of  August  24, 1774,  with  the  notice: 

"On  Sunday  evening  last,  after  five  days  illness, 
died,  in  the  prime  of  life,  Miss  Polly  Franks,  second 
daughter  of  David  Franks,  Esq.;  of  this  city — a  young 
lady  whose  sweetness  of  temper,  elegance  of  manners, 
cheerful  conversation  and  unblemished  virtue,  en- 
deared her  to  all  her  connexions,  and  especially  to  her 
now  mournful  parents,  who  found  her  in  every  part  of 
life  a  shining  example  of  filial  duty  and  affection — Her 
remains  were  interred,  Monday  forenoon,  in  Christ- 
Church  burying  ground,  amid  the  tears  of  her  numer- 
ous acquaintances  and  relatives." 

Again  the  gates  of  Christ  Church  opened  for  the 
widow  of  one  whom  the  church  had  ever  delighted  to 
honor.  Paulson's  American  Daily  Advertiser  of  October 
17,  1801,  told  the  story: 

"On  Wednesday  last,  in  the  88th  year  of  her  age, 
Mrs.  Susannah  Budden,  the  relict  of  capt.  Richard 
196 


CHURCH    CUSTOMS   OF   LONG   AGO 

Budden,  a  native  of  old  England,  so  well  known  for 
many  years  by  the  frequency  and  safety  of  his  voyages 
between  London  and  Philadelphia,  that  his  ship  was 
called  the  bridge  between  those  two  ports;  when  a 
young  sailor  he  accompanied  Win.  Penn  on  his  last 
visit  to  Pennsylvania,  and  was  introduced  when  a  man 
by  his  son,  Thomas  Penn,  to  King  George  the  2d;  who 
supposing  him,  from  the  plainness  of  his  dress  to  be  a 
quaker,  pleasantly  addressed  him  in  the  language  of 
that  religious  society,  and  directed  him  to  cover  his 
head.  The  widow  of  this  venerable  sea  captain, 
survived  him  five  and  thirty  years,  and  passed  the  long 
evening  of  her  life  in  a  peaceful  retirement  from  the 
eyes  and  bustle  of  the  world.  Her  death  and  funeral 
were  announced  by  the  ringing  of  the  bells  of  Christ 
Church  (muffled)  as  a  tribute  of  respect  to  her  worth, 
and  of  gratitude  to  her  husband,  who  presented  the 
church  with  the  freight  of  those  Bells  from  London, 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago. 

"Eight  days  before  she  died  she  requested  to  be 
interred  in  the  same  grave  with  her  husband  in  Christ 
Church  burying  ground  (which  was  accordingly  done 
last  evening)  and  that  the  following  lines  should  be 
added,  with  her  name,  to  the  words  'prepare  to  follow' 
which  are  inscribed  upon  his  tombstone, 

"I  am  prepar'd — God  called  me, 
My  Soul  I  hope,  doth  rest  in  thee." 

Two  obituary  notices  of  the  year  1766  are  of  un- 
usual interest  not  only  because  of  the  relationship  of 
the  subject  to  Benjamin  Franklin,  but  because  they  told 
of  husband  and  wife  who,  after  a  long  life  together,  died 
within  a  few  weeks  of  one  another.  The  Pennsylvania 
Gazette  of  July  3,  1766,  told  of  the  husband's  death: 

"On  Tuesday  morning  last  died  suddenly,  at  his 
House  in  Market-street,  in  the  Seventy-fourth  Year 
of  his  age,  Peter  Franklin,  Esq;  Deputy  Postmaster  of 

197 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

this  City,  only  brother  to  Benjamin  Franklin,  Esq. 
He  was  an  affectionate  Husband,  a  kind  Master,  a 
generous  Benefactor,  and  a  sincere  Friend." 

And  on  August  21,  1766,  the  same  paper  gave 
tidings  of  the  wife's  departure  to  join  her  husband : 

"  On  Thursday  Night  last  died,  after  a  short  illness, 
in  the  70th  Year  of  her  age,  Mrs.  Mary  Franklin,  the 
Virtuous  and  Amiable  Consort  of  the  late  Peter  Franklin, 
Esq;  of  this  City.  She  was  a  Gentlewoman  who,  from 
Principles  of  Christianity,  discharged  the  duties  of  a 
.long  Life  with  unblemished  Integrity;  which,  added  to  a 
sound  Understanding,  and  a  happy  Disposition,  ren- 
dered her  beloved  by  all  those  who  had  the  Pleasure  of 
her  Acquaintance." 

Newspaper  notices  of  funerals  were  in  Germantown 
supplemented  by  a  method  described  by  Townsend 
Ward: 

"Every  door  was  what  was  called  a  half  door,  and 
usually  the  upper  half  was  open.  Along  the  road,  up 
one  side  of  it  and  down  the  other,  would  stalk  the  self- 
important  herald,  who,  standing  at  the  threshold  of  each 
in  turn  would  proclaim  in  a  loud  voice,  'Thyself  and 
family  are  bidden  to  the  funeral  of  Dirck  Hogermoed  at 
three  o'clock  to-morrow.'  And  so  he  went  from  house  to 
house.  At  the  appointed  time  the  citizens  would  gather 
at  the  house  and  each  as  he  entered  would  take  from 
the  table  that  stood  by  the  door,  a  glass  of  spirits,  which 
it  was  considered  an  affront  not  to  do.  After  a  time  of 
solemn  communing  they  would  mount  their  horses, 
the  wife  on  a  pillion  behind  her  husband,  and  thus 
would  they  ride  tofthe  Burying  Ground  to  see  the  ancient 

'  Each  in  his  narrow  cell  forever  laid.'  " 

Another  strange  funeral  custom  was  commented 
on  by  Sarah  Eve  in  her  journal.  On  July  12,  1773, 

198 


CHURCH    CUSTOMS    OF    LONG    AGO 

she  wrote  of  taking  part  in  the  funeral  of  a  child,  as 
pall  bearer.  "Foolish  custom  for  Girls  to  prance  it 
through  the  streets  without  hats  or  bonnets,"  she  wrote. 

The  custom  persisted  for  many  years.  Hannah 
M.  White  wrote  on  December  19,  1813,  after  attending 
Fanny  Durden's  funeral:  "Six  young  ladies  of  her 
intimate  acquaintance,  of  which  I  was  one,  were  asked 
to  be  pall  bearers.  We  were  all  dressed  in  white  with 
long  white  veils,"  And  Arthur  Singleton,  an  English 
writer,  reported  in  1814:  "I  saw  in  Chestnut  street 
the  funeral  of  a  youth  of  about  ten  years,  whose  bier 
was  borne  in  the  hands  of  four  young  friends  .  .  . 
dressed  all  in  white,  with  the  curls  of  long  hair  drop- 
ping aloose  down  the  shoulders.  There  was  an  agreeable 
melancholy  about  it,  which  interested  me.  It  is  a 
relick  of  an  ancient  custom,  now  rare,  that  the  de- 
ceased youth  should  be  supported  to  the  grave  by  the 
opposite  sex." 

The  writing  of  elegies  for  a  dead  friend  was,  in 
the  eighteenth  century  a  popular  method  of  showing 
grief  and  respect.  One  of  the  best  of  these  elegies  was 
that  by  Elizabeth  Waring  in  1760,  after  the  death  of 
John  Wagstaffe,  Quaker  preacher,  one  of  two  brothers, 
singularly  gifted,  who  made  their  living  by  selling  hats 
and  gloves: 

"Two  Brothers,  who,  amid  the  Bloom  of  Youth, 
Bid  sin  adieu,  and  nobly  clos'd  with  truth; 
Took  up  the  Cross,  obey'd  the  Spirit's  Lore, 
And,  rich  in  Faith,  submitted  to  be  Poor. 
To  God  devoted,  offer'd  earliest  Hours, 
And  in  his  Cause,  exerted  all  their  Powers; 
The  sacred  text  with  Energy  convey'd, 
Humbled  the  Proud,  the  Hypocrite  dismay'd 

199 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Cheer'd  the  Penitent,  confirm'd  the  Weak, 
Who  could  be  unconcerned  while  they  speak? 
Powerful  their  Words  as  Moses'  Rod  of  old, 
Which  struck  the  Rock,  and  plentious  Torrents  rolPd/ 


But  ah,  they're  gone!    No  more  we  see  their  Face, 
That  did  so  oft  our  annual  meeting  grace, 
No  more  they  dress  the  Hand,  or  cloath  the  Head, 
But  lie  interr'd  amongst  the  silent  Dead." 

The  eighteenth  century  gave  way  to  the  nineteenth, 
and  the  nineteenth  century  has  become  the  twentieth, 
but  the  hearts  of  those  who  live  in  Philadelphia  are  as 
appreciative  as  ever  of  the  good  to  be  found  in  others. 


X 

COURTSHIP  AND  MARRIAGE 

GIVING  NOTICE  IN  A  "PUBLICK  PLACE"— WHY  SALLY  WAS  SAD — SHE  DID 
NOT  KEEP  HER  PROMISE — A  BABY  "OF  THE  WORST  SEX" — AN 
ELOPEMENT  AND  ITS  PAINFUL  SEQUEL — A  PEEP  AT  A  BRIDE'S  TROUS- 
SEAU— SHE  MARRIED  A  WIDOWER — SOME  HUMORS  OF  COLONIAL 
COURTSHIP — THE  AWFUL  PENALTY  OF  ATTRACTING  MEN 

ON  November  28,  1917,  one  who  was  privileged 
to  be  a  spectator  at  a  marriage  service  in  a 
Quaker  Meeting  House  in  Philadelphia  was 
telling  in  detail  what  had  been  done  and  said.  One  of 
the  listeners,  who,  during  the  hour  of  the  wedding,  had 
been  at  the  library  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, copying  some  old  documents,  thereupon  read 
from  one  of  the  copies  he  had  made,  as  it  happened 
the  account  of  a  Meeting  House  wedding  which  took 
place  November  28,  1686,  two  hundred  and  thirty 
one  years  to  a  day  earlier. 

The  hearers  were  amazed.  "But  for  the  archaic 
language  and  spelling,  and  the  difference  in  names, 
this  might  be  the  account  of  the  marriage  we  have  just 
witnessed,"  was  the  comment  of  one  of  them. 

The  document  of  1686  read  as  follows: 

"Whereas  Thomas  Duckett  of  Skulkill  in  the 
County  of  Philadelphia  Bricklayer  hath  according  to 
law  Published  his  Intention  of  Mariage  with  Ruth 
Wood  Wid  of  Rich  Wood  Deceased  and  likewise  both 
of  them  having  declared  their  said  Intentions  before 
severall  Mens  and  Womens  Meetings  of  ye  People  of 
God  called  Quakers  according  to  the  good  order  used 

201 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

amongst  them,  whose  proseedings  therein  after  due 
consideration  was  approved  by  ye  said  meetings.  Now 
these  are  to  certifye  all  whom  it  may  concerne  that  for 
the  full  determination  of  their  intentions  aforesaid  this 
28th  day  of  ye  11  Month  1686  they  the  said  Thomas 
Duckett  and  Ruth  Wood  in  a  publick  solemn  assembly 
of  ye  aforesaid  People  Met  together  for  that  purpose  at 
their  Publike  Meeting  house  at  Philadelphia  according 
to  ye  Example  of  ye  Holy  Men  of  God  recorded  in  the 
scriptures  of  truth  did  then  and  there  take  each  ye  other 
as  husband  and  Wife  in  Manner  and  forme  as  followeth 
viz  Tho  Duckett  taking  Ruth  Wood  by  ye  hand,  said, 
ffriends  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  presence  of  you  his 
People  I  take  this  my  ft'riend  Ruth  Wood  to  be  my 
Wife  promising  to  be  to  her  a  faithfull  and  loveing 
husband  till  death  separate  and  then  immediately 
after  did  Ruth  Wood  declare  and  say  I  Ruth  Wood  doo 
in  the  Presence  of  ye  Lord  and  you  his  People  take 
Tho  Duckett  to  be  my  husband  promising  to  be  to  him 
a  faithfull  and  obedient  Wife  so  long  as  it  please  ye 
Lord  we  shall  live  together  and  the  sd  Tho  Duckett  & 
Ruth  Wood  as  father  confirmation  thereof  did  then 
and  there  to  these  presents  sett  their  hands,  and  we 
whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed  are  witnesses 
of  the  same  the  Day  and  year  above  written." 

Another  form  of  certificate,  which  was  filed  early 
the  same  year  by  John  Moon  and  Martha  Wilkins, 
read: 

"These  are  to  satisfie  whom  it  may  concern  that 
Whereas  John  Moon  of  Philadelphia  in  the  Province  of 
Pennsilvania  Merchant  and  Martha  Wilkins  of  the 
same  Spinster  for  the  f ullfulling  a  Law  of  the  Province 
in  that  case  made  &  Provided  did  Post  or  set  a  Paper 
upon  a  Certain  noted  publick  Place  in  the  County 
where  they  lived  showing  their  intentions  of  taking 
each  other  as  husband  and  Wife  and  nothing  being 
202 


THE    QUAKER    WEDDING 

(From  the  painting  by  Percy  Bigland,  in  possession  of  Isaac  H.  Clothier,  Wynnewood, 

Pennsylvania) 


JULIANA    PENN 
(The  wife  of  Thomas  Penn) 


COURTSHIP   AND    MARRIAGE 

since  objected  to  the  Contrary  which  said  time  being 
since  expired  and  sufficient  proof  thereof  made  of  it  to 
the  Register  of  the  County  in  which  they  lived  they 
the  said  John  Moon  and  Martha  Wilkins  did  since 
solemnly  take  each  other  as  husband  &  Wife  at  the 
House  of  John  Moon  in  ye  town  &  County  of  Phila- 
delphia aforesaid  before  us  whose  names  are  hereunto 
subscribed  the  three  &  twentieth  Day  of  the  3d  Month 
beingfy6  first  Day  of  the  Week  1686  by  taking  each 
other  by  y6  hand,  and  promising  to  be  loving  and  faith- 
full  each  to  other  as  husband  &  Wife  till  Death  should 
part  them  the  Parties  themselves  having  also  sub- 
scribed their  Names." 

Later  it  was  not  sufficient  to  "Post  or  set  a  Paper 
upon  a  Certian  noted  Publick  Place,"  but  a  license 
was  required  of  all  those  who  wished  to  be  married. 
The  license  used  in  1777  was  a  formidable  document: 

"Know  all  Men  by  these  Presents,  That  we 

are  held  and  firmly  bound  unto 

Esquire,  President  of  the  Supreme  Executive 

Council  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  Captain 
General  and  Commander  in  Chief  in  and  over  the 
Same,  hi  the  Sum  of ....  Pounds,  to  be  paid  to  the  said 

Esquire,  his  certain  Attorney, 

Executors,  Administrators  or  Assigns,  or  his  Successors 
in  the  said  Office:  to  the  which  Payment  well  and  truly 
to  be  made,  we  bind  ourselves  jointly  and  severally  for 
and  in  the  Whole,  our  Heirs,  Executors,  and  Adminis- 
trators, firmly  by  these  Presents — Sealed  with  our  Seals 

Dated  the  Day  of in  the  Year  of  our 

Lord  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and 

"The  Condition  of  this  Obligation  is  such,  That  if 
there  shall  not  hereafter  appear  any  lawful  Let  or  Im- 
pediment, by  reason  of  any  Pre-contract,  Consan- 
guinity, Affinity,  or  any  other  cause  whatsoever,  but 
that  the  above-mentioned may  lawfully 

203 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

marry;  and  there  is  not  any  Suit  depending  before  any 
Judge,  for  or  concerning  any  such  Pre-contract;  and 
also  if  the  said  Parties,  and  each  of  them  are  of  the  full 
Age  of  Twenty-one  Years,  and  are  not  under  the  Tui- 
tion of  his  or  her  Parents,  or  have  the  full  Consent  of 
his  or  her  Parents  or  Guardians  respectively  to  the  said 
Marriage;  and  if  they,  or  either  of  them,  are  not  in- 
dented Servants,  and  do  and  shall  save  harmless  and 

keep    indemnified    the    above-mentioned 

Esquire,  his  Heirs,  Executors  and  Administrators,  or 
his  Successors  in  the  said  Office,  for  and  concerning  the 
Premises;  and  shall  likewise  save  harmless  and  keep 
indemnified  the  Clergyman,  Minister,  or  Person  who 
shall  join  the  said  Parties  in  Matrimony,  for,  or  by 
Reason  of,  his  doing  so;  then  this  Obligation  to  be  Void, 
and  of  none  Effect,  or  else  to  stand  in  full  Force  and 
Virtue. 

Sealed  and  Delivered  v 
in  the  Presence  of 


"The  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  the  Common- 
wealth of  Pennsylvania 

"To  any  Protestant  Minister 

"Whereas  Application  has  been  made  to  Us  by 

to  be  joined  together  in  holy  Matrimony, 

and  there  appearing  no  lawful  Let  or  Impediment  by 
Reason  of  Pre-contract,  Consanguinity,  Affinity,  or 
any  just  Cause  whatsoever,  to  hinder  the  said  Marriage: 
These  are  therefore  to  license  and  authorize  you  to, 
join  the  said in  the  holy  Bonds  of  Matri- 
mony, and  them  to  pronounce  Man  and  Wife." 

But  the  license  and  the  certificate  were  not  always 
the  only  legal  documents  passed  on  these  interesting 
occasions.  Sometimes  there  was  also  an  ante-nuptial 
agreement,  and  this  was  carefully  signed  and  sealed. 
Such  an  agreement  was  made  between  Jacob  Spicer 
204 


COURTSHIP  AND   MARRIAGE 

and  Deborah  Learning  in  1751.    Only  six  of  the  twenty- 
one  particulars  named  are  here  quoted : 

"To  Mrs.  Deborah  Learning, 
"Madam: 

"Seeing  I  Jacob  Spicer  have  addressed  myself  to 
you  upon  the  design  of  Marriage,  I  therefore  esteem  it 
necessary  to  Submit  to  your  consideration  some  par- 
ticulars before  we  enter  upon  the  Solemn  Enterprize 
which  may  either  establish  our  happinessr  or  Occasion 
our  Inquietude  during  life 

"I  conceive  the  following  Rules  and  particulars 
ought  to  be  steadily  observed  and  kept,  viz. 

"1st.  That  we  keep  but  one  purse,  a  Severance  of 
Interest  bespeaking  diffidence,  mistrust,  and  disunity 
of  mind. 

"2d.  That  we  avoid  anger  as  much  as  possible, 
especially  with  each  other,  but  if  either  should  be 
overtaken  therewith,  the  other  to  treat  the  angry 
Party  with  Temper  and  moderation 

"9th.  That  if  any  misunderstanding  shou'd  arise 
the  same  to  be  calmy  Canvassed  and  accommodated 
between  ourselves  without  admitting  the  Interpo- 
sition of  any  other,  or  seeking  a  Confident  to  either 
reveal  our  mind  unto,  or  Sympathize  withall  upon  the 
Occasion 

"13th.  That  in  Matters  of  Religious  Concernment 
we  be  at  liberty  to  Exercise  our  Sentiments  freely 
without   Controul 

"15th.  That  we  use  the  Relatives  of  each  other 
with  Friendly  Kindness 

"21st.  That  if  anything  be  omitted  in  the  foregoing 
rules  and  Particulars  that  may  Conduce  to  our  future 
Happiness  and*welfare,  the  same  to  be  hereafter  Sup- 
plied by  reason  and  discretion  as  often  as  Occasion 
shall  require. 

"I  Deborah  Learning  in  Case  I  marry  with  Jacob 
Spicer  do  hereby  Promise  to  Observe  and  Perform  the 

205 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

before  going  rules  and  Particulars ...  As  Witness  my 
hand  the  16th  day  of  December  1751. 

"Deborah  Learning." 

"I  Jacob  Spicer  in  Case  I  marry  with  Deborah 
Learning  do  hereby  promise  to  observe  and  Conform  to 
the  before  going  rules  and  particulars, ...  as  Witness 
my  hand  the  16th  day  of  December  1751. 

"Jacob  Spicer." 

Not  all  documents  that  passed  between  those  who 
planned  to  marry  were  so  formal  and  businesslike. 
Men  wrote  love  letters  to  young  women  in  early  days 
just  as  they  write  them  to-day,  and  as  they  will  write 
them  to  the  end  of  time. 

Perhaps  Rev.  Elias  Keach  was  not  so  young  as 
some  swains,  and  possibly  his  inamorata,  Mrs.  Mary 
Helm,  had  passed  her  first  youth,  but  this  was  no  reason 
for  lack  of  ardor  in  their  love  letters.  On  August  24, 
1696,  the  minister  was  in  his  "studdy  at  Christeena 
Creek."  Some  may  say  that  he  ought  to  have  been 
studying  his  sermon  for  the  next  Sunday,  but  the 
thought  of  the  fair  Mary  in  Philadelphia  was  too  much 
for  him,  and  he  could  not  study  until  he  prepared  for 
her  a  warm  message  that  was  far  more  important  to 
him,  just  then,  than  any  sermon  could  be.  And  this 
is  what  he  wrote: 

"Dearest  Ladie; 

"  My  boldness  in  Rushing  these  Rude  and  unpolished 
lines  into  your  Heroick  &  most  Excelent  Presence,  doth 
cause  me  to  suspect  your  amazement  &  may  justly 
cause  you  to  suspect  my  unmannerliness .  .  .But  Lady 
let  me  crave  the  mantle  of  your  Virtue  the  which  noble 
&  generouse  favour  will  hide  my  naked  and  deformed 
fault, .  . .  ever  since  I  saw  thee  sun-rise  of  your  comly 
&  gracious  presence  the  sun  beams  of  your  countenance 
206 


COURTSHIP  AND   MARRIAGE 

&  your  discreet  &  virtuous  behaviour,  hath  by  degrees 
wroat  such  virtuouse  heat  &  such  Ammprouse  Effects 
in  my  disconsolate  heart;  that  that  which  I  must  at 
present  disclose  in  words,  in  your  graciouse  presence; 
I  am  forct  (altho  far  distant  from  you)  to  discover  in 
Ink  &  paper;  trusting  in  God  that  this  may  be  a  Key  to 
open  the  door  of  your  virtuous  &  tender  heart  against 
the  time  I  do  appear  in  person,  Dear  Mistress;. .  .1 
must  need  say  that  this  is  not  a  common  practice  of 
mine  to  write  letters  of  this  nature;  But  Love  hath 
made  that  proper  which  is  not  common;  Mrs.  Mary 
If  I  had  foreseen  when  I  saw  you  what  I  have  since 
experienced  I  would  have  foreshown  a  more  Ample 
and  courteous  behaviour  than  I  then  did ...  I  know  it  is 
folly  to  speak  in  my  own  Praise,  seeing  I  have  learnt 
this  Lesson  Long  Ago  wise  is  that  man  that  speaks  few 
words  in  his  own  praise;  again  as  for  a  Portion;  I  would 
have  you  have  as  favourable  a  construction  concerning 
me  as  I  have  concerning  you, . . .  this  is  the  earnest 
(yet  Languishing)  Desire  of  his  Soul,  who  hath  sent 
his  heart  with  his  Letter;  and  Remains  your  Cordiall 
friend  earnest  suitor  faithfull  Lover  &  most  Obligeing 
Servant, 

"Elias  Keach  pastor 

&  Minister  in 

Newcastle  County." 

The  records  tell  of  another  minister  the  story  of 
whose  courtship  and  marriage  would  take  the  prize 
for  brevity.  His  name  was  Andreas  Sandel,  and  he 
was  pastor  of  Gloria  Dei  Church,  Philadelphia,  from 
1702  to  1719.  On  February  1,  1704,  he  told  in  his 
journal  the  first  chapter  of  his  love  story: 

"In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  I  set  out  to  offer  myself 
marriage,  (on  the  other  side  of  the  river)  to  Maria,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Per.  Matson  (a  Swede),  and  ar- 
rived there  after  dark." 

207 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Chapter  2  followed  promptly,  thus: 

"February  2 — In  the  morning  I  told  the  object  of 
my  visit,  and  she  said  yes,  as  did  her  Mother." 

Chapter  3: 

"February  9 — Arrived  here  the  New  Governor, 
Jean  Evans,  a  Churchman.  The  banns  were  published 
the  first  time  of  me  and  Maria,  Matson's  daughter." 

Chapter  4 : 

"February  22 — To  Maria,  Per's  daughter,  I  was 
married  in  the  Lord's  name  at  Wicacoa. .  .The  Gov- 
ernor and  a  great  many  people  present." 

There  is  a  little  more  romance  about  the  story  of 
Sarah  Plumly  and  Edward  Shippen.  On  August  2, 
1725,  he  set  out  for  Boston,  and  a  few  days  later  his 
Sarah  sent  the  following  message  hurrying  after  him : 

"Dear  Neddy: 

"As  soon  as  you  left  me  I  went  up  stairs  with  a 
sorrowful  heart  &  laid  me  down  endeavouring  to  sleep 
but  could  not  for  you  was  so  deep  in  my  thoughts  that 
I  could  not  do  any  thing  all  that  day,  but  think  of  you 
and  the  dear  parting  experience,  &  the  next  day  I  went 
and  sat  with  Cousin  Baynton  all  day  to  divert  myself. 
Wednesday  night  I  sent  billy  to  see  if  the  post  was 
come  he  was  not  come  then  and  I  sent  him  up  next 
morning  and  the  post  was  come  but  there  was  no  letter. 
Saturday  when  your  father  was  out  of  town  John 
Kearsey  brought  the  letters  &  Josey  was  here  &  I  could 
not  be  easy  till  he  had  opened  it,  &  I  took  mine  out 
with  abundance  of  joy  &  am  glad  to  hear  you  are  well 
&  that  you  like  your  horse  &  the  opinion  I  have  of  your 
sincere  love  makes  me  easy  &  nothing  but  Death  shall 
put  an  end  to  it  &  dont  forget  her  who  shall  ever  con- 
tinue to  be  your  most  sincere  and  affectionate  friend 

"Sarah  Plumly." 

208 


COURTSHIP  AND   MARRIAGE 

"Neddy"  in  Boston  very  properly  got  up  at  five 
in  the  morning  to  prepare  a  letter  for  Sarah,  and  this 
is  a  part  of  what  he  sent: 

" . .  .My  dear  soul  I  beg  you  to  be  choice  of  your 
health.  I  am  not  (as  I  told  you  at  parting)  at  all 
afraid  of  my  Father's  slighting  you,  for  I  know  he 
always  respected  you,  and  will  show  it  more  in  my 
absence  than  presence.  I  desire  earnestly  that  you 
may  provide  some  of  the  necessary  things  for  our 
settling.  . . 

"What  signifies  fretting  my  dear  pretty  soul  at 
things  that  can  not  be  helped,  You  and  I  love  one 
another  dearly  and  I  hope  as  it  hath  pleased  God  to 
conduct  me  safely  here,  so  He  will  extend  His  love 
further  by  guarding  me  safe  home  again.  .  . 

"Lett  me  beg  of  you  honey  to  take  as  much  care  of 
your  health  as  I  do  of  mine.  So  conclude  with  dear 
love  to  my  Dearest  Sally, 

"her    sincere    friend 
"Edwd  Shippen." 

Evidently  health  was  preserved,  the  home  coming 
was  without  accident  and  "Sally"  was  prospered  in 
getting  things  together  for  the  wedding,  for  the  very 
next  month  the  ardent  young  people  were  married. 

A  few  years  later  love  letters  were  sent  by  William 
Franklin,  son  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  to  Elizabeth 
Graeme  which  were  not  followed  by  marriage.  The 
inexorable  records  show  that  the  recipient  of  the  letters 
later  married  a  man  named  Fergusson. 

Parts  of  two  letters  were  as  follows: 

"Thou  dear  Tormentor! 

"Your  most  agreable  vexatious  little  Billet  occa- 
sioned me  more  Pleasure  and  Uneasiness  than  I  chuse  to 
oblige  you  with  the  Pain  of  Hearing  at  present ..." 
14  209 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"Is  this  possible!  Can  such  dire  Revenge  dwell 
in  so  fair  a  Breast?  Two  Posts,  and  three  gentlemen 
from  Philada  and  not  a  single  Iota  from  my  Betsy!. . . 
But  I  won't  complain . . .  Should  she  know  what  I 
suffer  it  would  only  serve  as  an  additional  Motive  for 
persevering  in  her  late  extraordinary  Conduct;. . . 

"Thanks  to  my  Stars  the  Post  is  just  agoing,  and 
now  stands  at  my  Elbow  impatiently  waiting  for  this 
Letter.  I  might  otherwise,  perhaps,  have  filPd  the 
whole  Sheet  with  earnest  Intreaties  that  you  would 
once  more  oblige  me  with  the  Pleasure  of  hearing  from 
you.  But  as  That  in  all  Probability  would  have  been  a 
sufficient  inducement  for  your  not  writing  at  all,  re- 
member I  do  not  say  I  desire  you  to  send  one  Scrape  of  a 
Pen  to 

"Your  too  fond 
"Franklin." 

There  was  a  more  fortunate  issue  to  the  love  affair 
of  John  Smith,  whose  letter  of  "12  mo  5th,  1747-8" 
to  Hannah  Logan  was  followed  by  the  marriage  of  the 
young  people  on  December  7,  1748.  But  the  lover  was 
by  no  means  sure  of  the  daughter  of  the  owner  of 
Stenton,  even  for  several  months  after  the  penning  of 
the  ardent  missive  in  which  he  said: 

"It  is  now  some  years  since  first  I  conceived  a  very 
great  Esteem  for  thy  person . . .  Soon  after  I  had  some 
opportunities  for  Converse  when  thee  was  in  Company, 
which  much  Enhanced  my  Esteem.  I  plainly  saw 
that  though  the  Cabinet  was  Exquisitely  framed,  the 
Mind  lodged  in  it  was  Excellent;  and  this  as  it  renewed 
and  strengthened  my  former  Regard  so  it  increased 
the  difficulty ....  Many  were  the  Racking  thoughts 
occasioned  by  the  different  sensations  of  desire  and 
doubt. . . 

"When  in  any  degree  favoured  with  Access  to  the 
Throne  of  Grace  I  spread  my  case  there,  and  with  the 
210 


COURTSHIP   AND   MARRIAGE 

Utmost  Submission  and  Reverence,  desired  to  be  led 
aright  in  so  weighty  an  Affair.  Many  and  frequent 
were  my  applications  of  that  sort,  and  I  often  found 
return  of  satisfaction  and  peace  in  these  Addresses, 
and  sometimes  a  Nearness  and  Sympathy  with  they 
Exercises,  in  such  an  Affecting  Manner,  that  words 
cannot  convey  any  Adequate  Idea  of  ... 

"I  have  acted  with  a  great  deal  of  fear  and  Caution, 
lest  I  should  do  anything  that  would  disoblige  thee,  and 
should  propitious  heaven  Incline  a  tender  Sentiment 
in  thee  in  my  favour,  I  should  think  no  pains  too  great 
to  take  to  Convince  thee  of  the  Sincerity  of  my  Love, 
My  dear  Hannah;  I  ask  not  any  hasty  Conclusion,  I 
only  Beg  that  thou  would  weigh  my  proposal  in  the 
Most  Serious  Manner,  and  I  trust  thou  wilt  find  a 
freedom  to  permit  my  frequent  Visits,  and  that  all 
Objections  and  difficulties  will  in  time  be  removed — 
and  we  shall  know  the  Encrease  of  our  Esteem  for 
each  other  by  mutual  Good  Offices  .  .  . 

"I  conclude  with  Observing  that  Marriage  is  a 
solemn  thing,  but  when  undertaken  with  upright,  honest 
intention,  and  the  Blessing  of  the  Almighty  Solemnly 
sought  and  had  therein,  it  must  certainly  be  the  hap- 
piest State  of  Life  ...  I  pray  God  to  pour  down  his 
choicest  Blessings  upon  thy  head — and  with  the  Sal- 
utation of  the  Tenderest  Regard,  I  remain 

"Thy   Truly   Affectionate   Friend 
"John    Smith." 

Mr  and  Mrs.  John  Smith  were  staid  and  sober 
married  people  when  another  lover,  who  can  be  known 
only  as  "  J.  S.,"  wrote  to  the  girl  he  left  behind  him  at 
Lewes,  Delaware,  when  he  went  off  to  fight  under 
Washington.  From  Philadelphia  he  sent  his  greetings 

one  whom  he  addressed  as  "My  Dearest  Girl:" 

...  this  is  the  forth  Time  I  have  Wrote  to 
jwes  since  I  left  it  but  have  not  received  one  Line 

211 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

from  any  friend  in  that  Quarter  .  .  .  weekly  Letters 
were  mutually  promised  mine  has  not  failed  but  no 
Return  makes  me  unhappy  ...  I  shall  leave  this 
Place  immediately  and  can  not  expect  to  hear  from  you 
God  knows  when  As  soon  as  I  arrive  at  Camp  I  shall 
embrace  the  first  opportunity  of  informing  you  of  my 
Situation — God  send  a  Speedy  &  honorable  End  to 
our  Troubles;  Believe  me,  my  dearest  Girl,  I  am  often 
almost  ready  to  leave  every  Engagement  and  fly  to  the 
Arms  of  her  who  I  flatter  my  wishes  to  make  me  happy, 
which  none  else  can  do .  .  .  ' 

Another  soldier  of  the  Revolution  whose  name, 
unfortunately  became  only  too  well  known,  on  Septem- 
ber 25,  1778,  sent  a  letter  to  Margaret  (Peggy)  Shippen 
in  Philadelphia  which  it  would  have  been  well  if  she 
had  never  "received,  for  her  later  marriage  to  the  writer 
brought  her  little  but  sorrow.  However,  the  letter 
promised  great  things: 

"Dear  Madam; — 

"Twenty  times  have  I  taken  up  my  pen  to  write  to 
you,  and  as  often  has  my  trembling  hand  refused  to 
obey  the  dictates  of  my  heart — a  heart  which,  though 
calm  and  serene  amidst  the  clashing  of  arms  .  .  . 
trembles  with  diffidence  and  the  fear  of  giveng  offence 
when  it  attempts  to  address  you  on  a  subject  so  im- 
portant to  its  happiness  .  .  . 

"My  passion  is  not  founded  on  personal  charms 
only;  that  sweetness  of  disposition  and  goodness  of 
heart,  that  sentiment  and  sensibility  which  so  strongly 
mark  the  character  of  the  lovely  Miss  P.  Shippen,  ren- 
ders her  amiable  beyond  expression,  ...  On  you 
alone  my  happiness  depends,  and  will  you  doom  me  to 
languish  in  despair?  .  .  .  Do  you  feel  no  pity  in  your 
gentle  bosom  for  the  man  who  would  die  to  make  you 
happy?  .  .  .  Friendship  and  esteem  ...  is  the 
most  certain  basis  to  build  a  lasting  happiness  upon; 
212 


MARGARET    (PEGGY)    SHIPPEN 


(1)  COLONIAL  GOWN  IN  WEDDING  OUTFIT  OF  MARY  HODGE  OF  HOPE 
LODGE,  WHITEMARSH;  (2)  CRIMSON  BROCADE  OF  1752;  (3)  GREEN 
GOWN  OVER  SATIN  HOOPED  PETTICOAT;  (4)  BACK  VIEW  OF  (3) 


FOUR    OLD-TIME    PENNSYLVANIA  WORTHIES 


COURTSHIP   AND   MARRIAGE 

and  where  there  is  a  tender  and  ardent  passion  on  one 
side,  and  friendship  and  esteem  on  the  other,  the  heart 
(unlike  yours)  must  be  callous  to  every  tender  senti- 
ment if  the  taper  of  love  is  not  lighted  up  at  the  flame. 
...  Pardon  me,  Dear  Madame,  for  disclosing 
a  passion  I  could  no  longer  confine  in  my  tortured  bosom. 
I  have  presumed  to  write  to  your  Papa,  and  have  re- 
quested his  sanction  to  my  addresses.  Suffer  me  to 
hope  for  your  approbation.  .  .  .  Whatever  my  fate 
may  be,  my  most  ardent  wish  is  for  your  happiness, 
and  my  latest  breath  will  be  to  implore  the  blessing  of 
heaven  on  the  idol  and  only  wish  of  my  soul. 

"Adieu,  dear  Madame,  and  believe  me  unalterably, 
your  sincere  admirer  and  devoted  humble  servant, 

"B.  Arnold." 

One  who  has  told  the  story  of  Peggy  Shippen's  life 
says  that  her  father  "was  opposed  to  the  match  be- 
cause Arnold  was  over  twice  her  age,  a  widower  with 
three  children,  and  notoriously  extravagant;  though 
when  he  saw  that  her  heart  was  fixed  and  that  her 
health  had  failed  in  consequence,  he  reluctantly  gave 
his  consent." 

But  there  were  also  happy  marriages  in  the  Shippen 
family.  On  June  8,  1750,  Edward  Shippen,  Jr.,  ad- 
dressed his  father  on  the  subject  of  his  love  for  Peggy 
Francis: 

"Hon'd  Sir: 

"My  Mind  has  been  much  employed  for  about  a 
Twelve-month  past  about  an  affair,  which,  tho'  often 
mentioned  to  you  by  others,  has  never  been  revealed  by 
myself,  .  .  .  Miss  Peggy  Francis  has  for  a  long  time 
appeared  to  me  the  most  amiable  of  her  sex,  and  tho5 
I  might  have  paid  my  Addresses,  possibly  with  success, 
when  it  would  have  been  non-agreeable  to  you,  yet  as 
Our  Affections  are  not  always  in  our  Power  to  command, 

213 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

ever  since  my  Acquaintance  with  this  young  Lady  I 
have  been  utterly  incapable  of  entertaining  a  thought 
of  any  other.  ...  If  I  had  obtained  a  girl  with  a 
considerable  Fortune,  no  doubt  the  world  would  have 
pronounced  me  happier,  but,  as  in  my  own  Notion, 
Happiness  does  not  consist  in  being  thought  happy  by 
the  World,  but  in  the  internal  Satisfaction  and  Con- 
tent of  the  Mind,  I  must  beg  leave  to  say  I  am  a  better 
Judge  for  myself  of  what  will  procure  it  than  they :  yet 
I  am  not  so  carried  away  by  my  Passion  as  to  exclude 
the  consideration  of  money  matters  altogether  .  .  . 
With  a  little  Assistance  in  setting  out,  my  Business, 
with  Frugality,  cant  fail  to  maintain  me,  and  a  bare 
support  with  one  I  love  is  to  me  a  much  preferable  state 
to  great  affluence  with  a  Person  one  regards  with  indif- 
ference. Be  pleased,  Sir,  to  let  me  know  your  senti- 
ments of  this  affair  as  soon  as  possible.  For  tho*  I 
might  not  press  a  very  speedy  conclusion  of  it,  yet  I 
am  anxious  to  know  my  Fate.  I  am  Dear  Sir 
"Your  Very  affectionate  and 
dutiful  Son 

"Edward  Shippen  Junr." 

In  connection  with  this  letter  it  is  of  interest  to 
read  one  written  ten  years  later,  by  the  same  son  to 
his  father: 

"Hon'd  Sir: 

"  .  .  .  My  Peggy  this  morning  made  me  a  Present 
of  a  fine  Baby,  which  tho'  of  the  worst  Sex,  is  yet  en- 
tirely welcome;  You  see  my  Family  encreases  apace; 
I  am  however  in  no  fear  by  the  Blessing  of  God  but  I 
shall  be  able  to  do  them  all  tolerable  Justice.  ..." 

Sometimes  a  prospective  bride  is  in  much  anxiety 
as  to  the  way  in  which  the  parents  of  the  man  she  has 
promised  to  marry  will  receive  her,  but  there  was  no 
possibility  of  doubt  in  the  case  of  Mary  Rhodes  of 

214 


COURTSHIP   AND   MARRIAGE 

Philadelphia  when  she  was  looking  forward  to  be- 
coming the  wife  of  Thomas  Franklin,  Jr.,  His  parents 
forever  set  at  rest  any  doubts  that  may  have  existed 
by  their  assurance  of  welcome: 

"Newyork,  12  m°,  20th,  1763. 
"Samuel  Rhodes  &  Wife 

"Dear  Friends  as  our  Son  Thomas  has  for  Some 
time  past  acquainted  us  of  his  Love  and  Good  Esteem 
for  your  Daughter  Mary  and  we  Conceiving  a  Good 
Opinion  of  her  &  Family  was  Well  Pleased  with  his 
Choice  but  hearing  it  was  a  Strait  with  you  to  part 
with  her  to  Come  to  this  Place  we  Could  but  Sympathize 
with  you  in  the  affair  .  .  .  However  he  informs  us 
you  have  left  her  to  her  Liberty  and  she  has  Turned 
the  Scale  for  Comeing  .  .  .  and  hope  we  shall 
allways  have  a  Parental  Care  for  her  and  Conclude 
you  are  Sensible  there  is  that  attracting  Power  of  Love 
in  all  Parts  that  Can  make  one  in  the  best  part,  if 
adhered  to  ... 

"Tho  we  have  thus  far  exprest  our  minds  we  know 
not  what  may  happen  between  the  Cup  and  the  Lip 
.  .  .  but  shall  contentedly  Submit  all  to  that  Great 
Director  of  all  Good — and  subscribe  with  Love  un- 
feigned to  you  all  &  to  your  Dear  Daughter  Mary 
in  Particular — 

"Thomas  Franklin 
"Mary  Franklin." 

There  were  strict  rules  in  the  Philadelphia  of  long 
ago  as  to  when  a  young  man  might  speak  and  might 
not  speak  to  a  young  woman  about  marriage,  and 
woe  to  the  swain  who  dared  transgress.  So  George 
Robinson  found  to  his  sorrow.  In  1732  it  was  neces- 
sary for  him  to  go  before  the  Meeting  and  confess  his 
dereliction,  which  he  did  in  words  as  follows : 

215 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"Whereas  I  have  made  my  mind  known  to  Mary 
McKay  upon  ye  account  of  Marriage  before  I  had  her 
parents'  Consent  Contrary  to  ye  order  of  friends  for 
which  I  am  sorry." 

A  Philadelphia  Quakeress  in  1796  brought  herself 
into  still  more  serious  difficulty  because  she  chose  to 
disregard  her  parents.  Molly  Drinker  and  Samuel 
Rhoads  made  up  their  minds  to  marry.  Molly's  parents, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Drinker,  were  astonished  on  the 
evening  of  August  8  by  the  coming  of  a  messenger 
who  bore  a  letter  addressed  to  Henry  and  Eliza  Drinker. 
In  her  journal  Mrs.  Drinker  related  the  sad  story  of 
their  heart-break: 

"William  handed  it  to  me — I  wondered  from  whom 
it  came,  directed  to  us  both  .  .  .  but  upon  opening 
it  and  reading  the  address  on  ye  top,  'My  dear  parents,' 
I  cast  my  eyes  down,  and  to  my  unspeakable  aston- 
ishment saw  it  was  signed,  'Mary  Rhoads'  .  .  .  We 
had  not  the  least  suspicion  of  anything  of  the  kind 
occurring.  My  husband  was  much  displeased  and 
angry,  and  when  I  wished  to  know  where  she  was  at 
present,  he  charged  me  not  to  stir  in  the  affair  by  any 
means  .  .  . 

"The  next  day  William  and  I  stai'd  upstairs,  both 
of  us  very  unwell.  Sister  went  over  to  R.  Wain  to 
enquire  if  she  had  heard  where  Molly  was.  She  in- 
formed her  that  Pattison  Hartshorn  had  been  told  in  ye 
morning  by  Sally  Large  that  they  would  have  trouble 
in  the  neighborhood  to-day — that  Molly  Drinker  was 
married  last  night  to  S.  R.  at  the  widow  Pemberton's 
house  in  Chestnut  St — the  family  were  all,  her  son 
Joe  excepted,  out  of  town.  Robt  Wharton,  being  a 
Magistrate,  had  married  them  according  to  friendly 
order.  That  immediately  after  the  ceremony,  they, 
with  several  others  ...  set  off  for  Newington; 
216 


COURTSHIP   AND    MARRIAGE 

James  Fisher's  place,  about  two  miles  from  the  City 
.  .  .  This  was  some  little  alleviation  of  the  matter, 
as  we  did  not  know  before  where  she  was,  or  how  she 
had  been  married,  whether  by  a  Priest,  or  what  Priest. 
James  Pemberton  came  here  in  the  afternoon,  and  had 
a  talk  with  my  husband.  He  said  that  Sammy  was  a 
lad  of  a  very  good  moral  character,  and  those  whom  he 
had  heard  speak  of  the  matter,  made  light  of  it.  'So 
do  not  I,'  said  H.  D.  .  .  . 

"  J.  Logan  said  he  thought  it  a  very  suitable  match; 
Sam  being  a  worthy  young  fellow;  and  as  they  thought 
H.  D.  would  never  consent  [because  Samuel  Rhoads 
'did  not  dress  plain,'  or  as  they  expressed  it,  was  a  gay 
young  man,  while  Henry  Drinker  was  a  staunch  Quaker] 
was  the  reason  they  took  the  way  they  had,  .  .  . 
Nancy  Pemberton  said  that  she  and  all  her  family, 
her  son  Joe  excepted,  were  out  and  knew  nothing  of 
the  matter,  or  she  would  not  have  suffered  a  runaway 
marriage  to  have  taken  place  in  her  house." 

Thirteen  days  after  the  elopement  the  young  people 
sent  a  letter  to  the  parents  "expressive  of  their  un- 
easiness at  the  pain  they  had  caused,"  and  saying  that 
they  hoped  to  be  taken  into  favor.  On  October  9, 
nine  weeks  after  the  marriage,  Mary  came  to  see  her 
mother.  "  I  was  pleased  to  see  her,"  the  mother  wrote, 
"and  heartily  wish  an  amicable  meeting  would  take 
place  between  her  and  her  father."  On  October  15, 
Mrs.  Drinker  went  to  S.  R.'s,  "without  leave."— "I  feel 
best  pleased  that  I  went,"  she  wrote.  On  November  1 
Mary  called  at  her  old  home  after  meeting,  and  stayed 
until  her  father  came — "the  first  time  they  have  seen 
each  other  since  her  marriage,"  the  anxious  mother 
confided  to  her  diary.  "He  talked  to  her  plainly,  and 
at  the  same  time  kindly.  She  wiped  her  eyes  and  made 

217 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

a  speech  which  I  did  not  attend  to,  having  feelings  of 
my  own  at  ye  time.  He  promised  to  call  and  see  her 
mother  Rhoads,  whom  he  said,  he  valued.  I  hope 
matters  are  getting  in  a  fair  train,  which  I  think  will 
be  a  great  favor." 

Then  came  the  record  of  February  21, 1797: 

"Molly  ...  is  going  to  attend  our  Monthly 
meeting  with  a  paper  of  condemnation  for  her  outgoing 
in  marriage.  The  receiving  of  her  paper  was  delayed, 
and  another  appointment  made,  M.  Hart,  S.  Scatter- 
good  and  Molly  Smith  are  to  visit  her.  Sammy's  case 
also  put  off,  and  another  visit  appointed." 

The  conference  with  the  repentant  Molly  took  place 
on  March  24,  nearly  five  weeks  later : 

"Her  outgoing  in  marriage  ought  to  have  been  the 
subject  in  question,  but  M.  H.  took  upon  himself  to 
talk  of  things  wide  of  the  mark,  and  I  believe  they 
intend  to  lengthen  out  the  business  as  long  as  they  can. 
If  innocent  young  women  are  so  treated,  I  fear  it  will 
drive  them  further  from  the  Society,  instead  of  bringing 
them  nearer." 

On  April  12,  the  mother  talked  with  one  of  the  men 
who  had  been  appointed  to  deal  with  Sammy  Rhoads. 
"He  is,  or  appears  to  be,  an  innocent,  well  minded 
man,"  was  her  opinion.  "If  they  were  all  so,  men  and 
women,  the  affair  would  not  be  so  long  in  hand.  He 
said  there  was  a  good  deal  of  outdoors  talk,  which  he 
disapproved  of." 

The  case  was  still  undecided  on  April  20,  for  on 
that  day  Molly  told  her  mother  that  she  expected  a 
visit  next  day  from  those  whom  the  mother  called 
"the  curious  impertinents." 

On  May  23  came  the  joyful  news  that  the  daughter's 
218 


COURTSHIP   AND   MARRIAGE 

paper  "was  received  without  one  dissenting  voice." 
From  this  day  husband  and  wife  were  restored  to  favor. 
And  all  this  trouble  might  have  been  avoided  if 
Samuel  Rhoads  and  Mary  Drinker  had  been  as  open 
in  their  plans  as  was  the  writer  of  a  wedding  invitation 
that  was  dated  October  19,  1746: 

"My  sweetheart  as  well  as  myself  desire  (if  it  may  suit 
thy  convenience  and  freedom),  that  thou  wilt  favor  us 
with  thy  company  at  our  marriage,  which  is  intended 
to  be  at  Burlington  the  4th  of  next  month. 

"I  am  thy  respectful  friend, 

"Aaron  Ashbridge." 

One  of  the  many  drawbacks  to  an  elopement — 
at  least  in  the  bride's  eyes — was  the  inability  to  prepare 
a  trousseau  like  that  of  Molly  Burd,  who  married  Peter 
Grubb.  She  spent  £31,  5s.  8d,  and  the  items  were  as 
follows: 

14  Yards  Mantua  Silk £8  80 

1  Ps.  Irish  Linnen  25  yds  at  5/9 7  39 

1  silk  Cloak 3  66 

3  yds.  Cambrick  at  16 2  80 

A  necklace 90 

For  a  laced  Cap,  Ruffles,  Tippet  &  tucker.  .  9  10  5 

A  much  more  elaborate  outfit  was  purchased  for  a 
bride  of  1768.  It  is  not  possible  to  name  all  the  items. 
The  following  are  selected: 

"1  Bedstead  with  curtain,  £15;  8  Chamber  and  1 
Arm  Chair,  £13.10;  1  Chest  of  Drawers,  £10;  1  Sconce 
Glass,  £4;  1  Damask  Table  Cloth  and  12  Napkins, 
£4.15;  1  Silver  Cup,  £4.4.4;  1  pair  Silver  Castors, 
£4.15.7;  1  Silver  Cream  Jug,  £2.19.6;  Silver  Tea  Tags 
and  Strainer,  £  11s.  4d;  1  Black  Gown,  £5;  Damask  do, 
£5;  1  Taffity  do,  £3;  1  Silverett  do,  £2;  1  Persian  do, 

219 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

£2;  1  Poplin  do,  £2;  1  Velvet  Cloak,  £2;  1  Broad- 
cloth Cloak,  £4;  1  Black  Petticoat,  £2;  1  Serge  do, 
£1;  1  Persian  do,  £l;  1  Poplin  do,  £1.5;  1  Blue  do,  £l; 
1  Dimity  do,  7s. 6d;  1  Camblet  Cloak,  10s;  4  Cambric 
and  Linen  Handkerchiefs,  £1;  1  pair  Stockings,  3s.  4d." 

As  became  a  staid  Quaker  preacher,  Thomas 
Chalkley  did  everything  decently  and  in  order,  when 
he  was  married,  but  he  did  not  want  any  frills  or  fur- 
belows. In  1714, -he  wrote: 

"About  this  time  I  had  an  inclination  to  alter  my 
condition  of  being  a  widower,  for  a  married  state,  and 
the  most  suitable  person  that  I  (with  some  of  my  good 
friends)  could  think  upon  was  Martha,  the  widow  of 
Joseph  Brown;  and  on  the  15th  of  the  second  month, 
1714,  we  were  jomed  together  in  marriage,  .  .  .  We 
had  a  large  meeting  at  our  marriage,  the  solemnization 
thereof  being  attended  with  the  grace  and  the  goodness 
of  God  .  .  .  We  made  but  little  provision  for  our 
guests,  for  great  entertainments  at  marriages  and 
funerals  began  to  be  a  growing  thing  among  us,  which 
was  attended  with  divers  inconveniences." 

Ann  Warder  was  a  worthy  follower  of  Thomas 
Chalkley,  for  she  was  quite  severe  in  the  remarks 
she  made  on  dress  in  connection -with  the  marriage  of 
two  of  her  friends.  The  first  reference  was  made  in  her 
diary  on  Nov.  27, 1786: 

"A  sweet  looking  young  woman  called  to  see  the 
girls,  who  in  a  few  days  is  to  be  married  out  of  the 
Society  to  the  great  Dr  Hutchinson,  many  years  older 
than  herself,  and  a  widower  with  one  son.  Evident 
it  is  here  that  girls  feel  the  scarcity  of  men  or  they 
would  not  sacrifice  themselves.  .  .  ."  . 

Five  days  later  she  wrote  that  three  of  her  family, 
Jerry,  Lydia  and  Sally  were  invited  to  dine  with  Dr. 
220 


COURTSHIP  AND   MARRIAGE 

Hutchinson  and  wife,  "which  as  they  had  been  married 
by  a  priest  would  be  hardly  orthodox  with  us,  but  here 
much  too  many  make  no  distinction,  paying  them 
just  the  same  respect — calling  the  first  three  mornings 
to  drink  punch  with  the  groom  and  the  next  week 
drinking  tea  with  the  bride.  I  think  the  evil  conse- 
quences of  mixed  marriages  are  reduced  in  the  view  of 
some  young  minds  who  perhaps  become  entangled  in 
this  improper  way  at  some  of  these  places.  They  had 
a  large  company  and  stylish  entertainment.  In  the 
evening  sister  M —  came  in  when  we  had  a  long  con- 
versation on  this  subject,  to  which  dress  was  intro- 
duced ....  I  told  her  if  my  husband's  circum- 
stances would  not  afford  me  a  good  long  gown,  I  had 
rather  wear  a  worsted  one  always,  than  like  her  sit  at 
home  not  fit  to  be  seen  by  man  sometimes  .... 
There  was  much  state  on  the  occasion  of  Edward 
Burd's  marriage  to  Elizabeth  Shippen.  The  groom 
told  of  the  wedding  in  a  letter  to  Jasper  Yeates,  dated 
at  Philadelphia  on  December  22,  1778: 

"On  Thursday  Evening  last,  I  formed  the  most 
pleasing  connexion  with  my  most  amiable  Girl.  We 
had  none  that  lived  out  of  the  Family  except  Aunt 
Willing,  Mr.  Tilghman,  &  the  Bride's  Man  &  Maids 
present  at  the  Ceremony.  My  dear  Betsy  went  thro* 
it  with  tolerable  Courage  considering  the  very  impor- 
tant Change  it  will  make  in  her  life: — We  saw  Com- 
pany for  three  days  &  one  Friday  Evening  had  a  little 
Hop  for  our  unmarried  Acquaintances  .  .  .  Betsy 
joins  me  in  her  kind  Love  to  yourself,  Mrs.  Yeates  & 
Family.  I  have  a  prospect  of  getting  Mrs.  Francis's 
House  with  the  use  of  her  Furniture.  ...  I  have  got 
some  Linnen  at  my  father's  both  fine  and  coarse.  It 

221 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

will  be  proper  I  should  use  my  own  Sheeting  &  Table 
Linnen ;  I  wish  that  I  could  get  that  &  my  Table  Linnen 
sent  down  as  soon  as  is  convenient." 

Eight  days  after  the  groom  wrote  the  letter  that 
told  of  his  happiness,  the  wife  of  the  recipient  sent  a 
message  to  the  bride: 

"Permit  me,  my  dear  Betsy  to  congratulate  you  on 
your  Change  of  Condition.  Our  new  Connection  gives 
me  the  highest  Joy  &  Satisfaction  .  .  . 

"We  flatter  ourselves  we  shall  have  the  Pleasure  of 
your  Company  here,  whenever  the  weather  will  permit 
your  travelling.  .  .  . 

"You  will  greatly  oblige  me  by  presenting  my 
Duty  to  your  Papa  &  Mama  &  Love  to  your  Sisters  & 
Brothers.  That  you  &  Neddy  may  experience  every 
Felicity  the  married  State  is  capable  of,  are  the  ardent 
wishes  of,  Dear  Betsy, 

"Your  most  affectionate 
"Sister." 

And  in  the  following  January  Elizabeth  Tilghman, 
the  bride's  cousin,  sent  her  congratulatory  epistle, 
in  which  she  makes  mention  of  Margaret  Shippen  and 
Benedict  Arnold: 

"Well  my  dear  young  Matron  how  is  it  with  your 
highness  now,  have  you  got  over  all  your  little  pal- 
pitations, and  settled  yourself  as  a  sober  discreet  wife. 
.  .  .  and  is  it  really  possible  that  you  are  married, 
and  have  received  the  golden  Pledge  before  the  Cassock 
and  Twenty  Five  .  .  .  give  my  best  love  to  Coun- 
sellor Burd,  you  have  some  slight  knowledge  of  the 
youth  I  presume,  but  at  your  peril  don't  let  him  peep 
at  this  elegant  scrawl  of  mine  tell  the  girls  they  have 
my  best  wishes  .  .  .  oh!  all  ye  powers  of  love  I  had 
like  to  have  forgot  the  gentle  Arnold,  where  is  he  .  .  . 
and  when  is  he  like  to  convert  our  little  Peggy.  They 
222 


COURTSHIP   AND   MARRIAGE 

say  she  intends  to  surrender  soon.  I  thought  the 
fort  would  not  hold  out  long  well  after  all  there  is  noth- 
ing like  perseverance,  and  a  regular  attack.  Adieu, 
my  dear,  supper  waits,  let  me  hear  from  you  soon." 

January  9,  1787,  witnessed  the  marriage  of  Elliston 
Perot  and  Sarah  Sansom,  at  the  Bank  Meeting  House. 
On  the  day  of  the  wedding,  Ann  Warder  wrote  in  her 
diary  a  sprightly  account  of  the  event: 

"On  entering  found  most  of  the  wedding  company 
present,  among  whom  I  sat.  Cousin  Betsy  Roberts 
first  said  a  few  words,  then  honest  Robert  Willis,  soon 
after  which  Betsy  appeared  in  supplication  and  William 
Savery  followed  with  a  long  and  fine  testimony.  The 
bride  and  groom  performed,  the  latter  exceedingly  well, 
and  the  former  very  bad.  Meeting  closed  early  when 
the  couple  signed  the  certificate,  the  woman  taking 
upon  her  the  husband's  name.  We  then  proceeded  to 
Elliston's  house  but  a  short  distance  from  the  Meeting, 
where  about  fifty-eight  friends  were  assembled.  We 
were  ushered  upstairs  where  cake  and  wine  were  served, 
and  Joey  Sansom  in  helping  with  two  decanters  of 
Bitters,  and  glasses  on  a  waiter,  spilt  the  wine  over  his 
visitor's  wedding  garments,  much  to  her  embarrass- 
ment. The  next  disaster  was  that  some  of  the  fresh 
paint  ruined  a  number  of  gowns. 

"At  two  o'clock  we  were  summoned  to  dinner  and 
all  were  seated  at  a  horse-shoe  shaped  table  except 
Cousin  John  Head,  Jacob  Downing  and  Billy  Sansom, 
who  were  groomsmen  and  waited  on  us.  The  brides- 
maids were  Sally  Drinker,  her  Cousin  Polly  Drinker, 
and  a  young  woman  named  Sykes  Jacob  Downing  has 
long  courted  Sally  Drinker  and  it  is  now  likely  to  be  a 
match  in  the  spring  report  says. — She  is  a  cheerful, 
clever  girl  and  he  an  agreeable  young  man. 

"We  had  an  abundant  entertainment — almost 
everything  that  the  season  produced.  After  dinner 

223 


THE    ROMANCE    OF   OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

we  adjourned  upstairs,  and  chatted  away  the  afternoon, 
the  young  folks  innocently  cheerful  and  the  old  not 
less  so. 

"  Tea  was  made  in  another  room  and  sent  to  us.  At 
nine  o'clock  we  were  called  to  supper,  after  which  the 
guests  prepared  to  return  to  their  homes." 

That  sounds  like  a  long  time  for  the  bride  to  be  on 
exhibition.  But  that  day  was  only  the  beginning. 
A  whole  week  passed  before  the  festivities  connected 
with  the  wedding  were  at  an  end. 

The  papers  of  June  18,  1823,  told  of  a  marriage 
that  is  of  special  interest  because  of  the  description 
of  the  dress  of  the  bride,  Elizabeth  M.  Morris,  and  of 
the  wedding  supper: 

"The  bride  was  dressed  in  white  satin  covered  with 
tulle,  and  had  what  I  believe  you  call  a  skeleton  bonnet 
.  .  .  two  sermons  from  O.  Alsop  and  a  woman  named 
Leeds,  both  in  a  gloomy  and  foreboding  style.  The 
thermometer  being  at  93!  and  the  house  hemmed  in 
on  all  sides  .  .  .  the  bride  spoke  so  very  low  at  meet- 
ing that  no  one  I  have  inquired  of  heard  a  syllable. 
Having  had  the  honor  of  an  invitation,  found  a  company 
of  about  sixty-four,  chiefly  employed  in  seeking  the 
coolest  situations.  The  supper  tables  at  a  little  after 
nine  was  elegantly  furnished — tea  and  coffee,  cakes, 
blanc-mange,  calves-foot  jellies,  oranges,  pineapples, 
raisins  and  sugared  almonds,  strawberries  and  cream, 
strawberry  and  lemon  ice  creams  and  large  pound  cakes. 

The  Colonial  records  of  courtship  and  marriage 
are  rich  in  humor.  Sarah  Eve  was  humorous,  though 
she  did  not  realize  it,  when  she,  who  was  at  the  time 
engaged  to  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  wrote  on  March  30, 
1773: 

"In  the  morning  I  went  to  Mr.  Rush's  where  I 
224 


COURTSHIP   AND    MARRIAGE 

spent  the  day  and  night.  In  the  evening  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  Capt.  BetheJl  for  the  first  time. 
About  ten  o'clock  I  went  to  bed  and  left  Miss  Bets  up. 
Query,  which  was  the  happier,  that  lady  sitting  up 
with  her — ,  or  myself  lying  in  a  fine  soft  bed,  reading 
the  *  Ad  ventures  of  the  renowned  Don  Quixote,'  and  in 
a  most  excellent  humor  to  enjoy  it?"1 

A  humorist  of  1729,  Hugh  Roberts,  wrote  to  his 
"Respected  Fr'd  T.  Fenton:" 

...  My  sister  Jenny  entered  likely  into  the 
matrimonial  Band  wth  William  Fishbourn  who  I  be- 
lieve will  make  her  a  loving  Husband  .  .  .  Sister 
Susan  is  much  dejected  by  the  parting  with  a  sister, 
altho,  but  at  a  small  Distance  so  that  I  am  apt  to 
believe  nothing  short  of  a  Nupteal  tye  will  support  her 
Drooping  spirits  at  this  melancholly  Juncture"  .  .  . 

Humor  came  from  one  of  the  Revolutionary  camps 
in  a  letter  sent  by  a  captain  to  his  wife.  In  a  post- 
script he  gave  a  message  for  his  sisters  that  must  have 
made  them  smile  and  blush : 

"To  Miss  Aby  Miss  Rachel  &  Miss  Jenny  my  kind 
sisters  I  hoped  you  will  take  special  care  not  to  get 
married  to  any  cowardly  fellow  till  I  return  with  some 
of  my  Brave  fellows  which  will  be  before  you  spoil  with 
old  age  there  are  some  of  them  who  would  wish  to  see 
you  very  much  I  flatter  them  to  behave  like  men  and 
you  will  be  the  redier  to  receive  them." 

Fortunately  the  Act  of  Parliament  of  1770,  con- 
cerning marriage,  which  applied  to  Pennsylvania  as 


1  Robert  Bethell  later  married  Betsy  Rush,  but  Sarah  Eve  died  on 
December  4,  1774,  two  weeks  before  the  day  appointed  for  her  marriage 
to  Dr.  Rush. 

15  225 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

well  as  the  other  colonies,  could  not  be  enforced  at 
this  time,  for  it  proposed  dire  penalties  on  those  who 
dared  set  their  caps  for  men,  as  the  captain  urged  his 
sisters  to  do.  This  awful  Act  declared : 

"All  women,  of  whatever  age,  rank,  professionl 
degree,  whether  virgins,  maids  or  widows,  that  shal, 
from  and  after  such  Act  impose  upon,  seduce  or  betray 
into  Matrimony,  any  of  his  Majesty's  Male  subjects 
by  the  secrets,  cosmetics,  washs,  artificial  teeth,  false 
hair,  Spanish  wool,  iron-stays,  hoops,  high-heeled  shoes, 
etc.  shall  incur  the  penalty  of  the  law  now  in  force 
against  witchcraft,  and  like  misdemeanours,  and  that 
the  marriage  upon  conviction  shall  be  null  and  void." 


XI 

PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

Two  POUNDS  FOR  CARRYING  ONE  LETTER — WHY  PEGGY  SHIPPEN  SIGHED 
— How  PETER  MUHLENBERG  PLAYED  PRODIGAL — THE  CLEVER 
LADIES  OF  PHILADELPHIA — A  DUN  FOR  A  DEER — PROVING  A  FISH 
STORY — CONGRESS  A  "MOST  RESPECTABLE  BODY" — WHY  FRANKLIN 

WAS  SARCASTIC 

IN  these  days  of  efficient  mail  service  and  cheap 
postage  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that  these  bless- 
ings are  comparatively  modern.  The  early  resi- 
dents of  Philadelphia  were  forced  to  be  content  with 
infrequent,  uncertain,  expensive  transportation  of 
letters.  It  is  matter  of  remark,  then,  that  they  made 
such  good  use  of  their  limited  opportunities.  They 
paid  gladly  the  cost  of  sending  a  message  to  England 
or  to  other  colonies.  Of  course  the  writing  of  a 
letter  was  far  more  of  a  ceremony  than  it  is  to-day. 
Frequently  the  spare  time  of  days  was  given  to  the 
composition  of  one  letter,  and  usually  the  recipient  had 
something  worthy  of  examination. 

As  late  as  1755  the  rate  for  a  letter  to  England  was, 
for  a  single  sheet,  one  shilling;  for  two  sheets,  two 
shillings;  for  three  sheets,  three  shillings,  and  for  an 
ounce,  four  shillings.  In  addition  local  postage  had  to 
be  paid  to  the  port  city.  Mails  were  sent  once  each 
month. 

A  hint  of  the  great  expense  of  the  local  transport 
of  letters  for  even  a  comparatively  short  distance  is 
afforded  by  a  message  sent  by  Thomas  James  to  James 

227 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Steele,  from  Philadelphia,  in  November,  1735.  He 
asked  for  seven  pounds  for  "my  Trouble  of  coming 
up  from  the  Capes";  then  he  added,  "and  for  my  Going 
down  to  New  Castle  I  am  sure  is  not  worth  less  than 
three  Pounds."  This  opinion  as  to  the  proper  charge 
he  based  on  the  fact  that  he  "had  from  a  Certain 
Merch*  in  this  town  Seven  Pounds  for  Coming  up  from 
the  Capes  with  only  a  Bare  Packet  of  letters — and 
from  Geo.  Claypoole  Five  Pounds  for  Carrying  one 
Single  letter  down  to  ye  Capes." 

In  spite  of  the  plea  for  the  ten  pounds,  but  seven 
pounds  were  paid  for  the  service.  Perhaps  this  was 
because  funds  were  scarce  in  the  pockets  of  the  man 
for  whom  the  service  in  question  was  rendered. 

Financial  stringency  was  a  common  complaint 
among  the  settlers  on  the  Delaware.  Even  the  leader 
of  the  community,  William  Penn  himself,  was  com- 
pelled more  than  once  to  postpone  the  payment  of  just 
debts.  A  letter  written  by  him  in  August,  1683,  was 
occasioned  by  a  difficulty  of  this  sort.  This  letter,  as 
it  has  come  down  to  us,  is  addressed  simply;  "Kind 
ffriend." 

It  read: 

"I  was  not  willing  to  lett  the  Bearer  Wm  Lloyd  goe 
without  a  Letter  directed  to  my  Friend  West  for  though 
I  am  a  Man  of  Noe  Cerimony,  I  vallue  my  Self  a  little 
upon  sence  and  Gratitude.  I  had  a  very  Civill  Letter 
from  ye  which  Adds  to  my  Obligations,  but  having  to 
doe  wth  a  man  neither  Cruell  nor  Indigent,  I  hope  he 
will  trust  tell  I  am  able  to  pay;  and  to  doe  this  Noe 
Occation  shall  Slipp  me  and  Indeed  I  had  not  bin  soe 
Long  Silent,  If  my  own  Expectations  of  Seeing  York 
had  not  by  your  Govern18  delay  bin  frustrated  Pray 
228 


PEEPS  INTO   THE   POST   BAG 

lett  me  have  ye  Continuance  of  thy  friendship,  &  give 
me  Reason  to  believe  in  by  favouring  my  Commission- 
ers wth  ye  Mawhawks  and  Simicar  Indians  about  some 
backe  Lands  on  ye  Susquehannash  River  there  may  be 
many  y*  better  tell  there  tayle,  but  None  more  Sin- 
cerely &  affectionately  esteems  "ye  yr  thy  Verry  True 
Friend 

W.  P." 

The  next  plunge  into  the  Colonial  post-bag  brings 
to  light  a  letter  written  in  1742  to  a  junior  member 
of  the  Penn  family  connection,  "Master  Freame," 
who  was  a  grandson  of  William  Penn.  Richard  Hockley 
was  the  writer,  and  he  clothed  some  good  wholesome 
advice  with  a  good  deal  of  humility : 

"I  hope  you  will  bear  with  me  if  I  take  it  upon  me 
to  give  you  a  little  advice  in  the  best  manner  I  am  capa- 
ble, &  that  is  as  you  are  at  ye  same  school  wth  your 
Cozen  Jackey  Penn  &  will  I  hope  have  the  same  Edu- 
cation you  will  on  your  part  endeavour  to  live  in  Strict 
Unity  &  Friendship  wth  him  &  desire  a  Spirit  of  Em- 
ulation may  arise  in  your  Breast  to  equal  him  in  all 
his  study's  &  Exercises.  I  have  a  very  good  regard  to 
you  Both  as  decendants  of  a  Worthy  Honourable  Family 
to^whom  I  am  under  the  greatest  Obligations  &  hope 
you  will  Both  Endeavour  to  imitate  their  Worthy 
Examples,  but  you  must  claim  a  greater  Share  of  my 
Affections  as  I  have  pass'd  away  a  many  pleasing 
Hours  in  your  Innocent  Company;  &  I  cant  bear  to 
think  that  you  Shou'd  be  Eclipsed  in  any  one  Virtue  or 
Qualification  that  becomes  a  Gentleman  &  a  De- 
scendant of  the  Family  to  which  you  belong." 

One  of  the  Philadelphia  homes  to  which  descendants 
of  the  "Worthy  Honourable  Family"  delighted  to  go 
was  Stenton,  where  James  Logan  welcomed  all  comers, 
whether  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  civilized  or  savage. 

229 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

In  the  home  were  his  two  grown  daughters,  Hannah  and 
Sarah.  The  lover  of  Hannah  and  a  friend  of  Sarah 
was  John  Smith,  who  evidently  was  appreciative  of 
everything  his  friends  did  for  him.  In  1747  he  wrote 
to  Sarah  to  thank  her  for  a  kindness  she  had  done  him. 
We  are  not  told  what  that  kindness  was,  but  there  are 
so  many  glimpses  of  the  writer's  nature  in  his  letter 
that  it  is  worth  while  to  read  what  he  wrote: 

"My  Dear  Friend 

"I  am  not  very  well  to-day  otherwise  should  have 
waited  upon  thee,  which  I  hope  will  apologize  for  my 
writing.  I  have  lately  heard  of  an  Instance  of  thy 
Friendship  for  me,  which  hath  made  a  very  deep  Im- 
pression on  my  mind.  The  kind  and  good  natured 
manner  with  which  thou  was  pleased  to  speak  of  me 
to  an  Antient  Friend  of  ours  in  the  Country  [her  father], 
as  it  was  at  a  time  when  such  a  Character  did  me  the 
most  Service  that  it  ever  could,  So  it  gives  me  an  op- 
portunity to  know  that  true  friendship  may  subsist 
without  much  outward  show  of  it,  and  will  manifest 
itself  ready  &  willing  to  do  service,  when  Occasion 
offers,  Even  when  there  is  no  probability  of  its  coming 
to  the  Knowledge  of  the  person  so  obliged.  I  thought  I 
had  my  friends  at  Stenton,but  cannot  find  that  any  ever 
gave  such  Testimonies  of  their  Regard,  as  the  Instance 
I  am  now  speaking  of.  I  wish  I  may  have  it  in  my 
power  to  shew  thee  by  Actions  as  well  as  words,  how 
much  I  esteem  myself  in  thy  debt. 

"I  am  dear  Sally  Thy  Loving  &  obliged  Friend." 

By  no  means  all  the  letters  the  postman  carried 
were  of  the  stately  nature  affected  by  John  Smith. 
Some  of  them  were  full  of  the  gossip  of  the  town.  In 
fact,  invaluable  aid  is  given  to  those  who  study  the 
everyday  life  of  the  people  in  Colonial  days  by  many 
230 


WILLIAM   HAMILTON   OF    "THE   WOODLANDS"    AND   HIS    NIECE, 

MRS.    ANNA  HAMILTON   LYLE 

(Painted  by  Benjamin  West;  original  in  the  possession  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania) 


MRS.   BENEDICT    ARNOLD    AND    HER    DAUGHTER 
(From  the  painting  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence) 


GENERAL,    CADWALADER,    WIFE    AND    CHILD 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

letters  like  that  sent  in  1748  by  John  Ross  to  Dr. 
Cadwalader  Evans.  The  bits  of  news  he  wrote  would 
have  satisfied  anyone  who  was  hungering  for  a  word 
as  to  how  old  neighbors  were  getting  along.  After 
mentioning  the  fact  that  one  common  acquaintance 
was  to  be  married  to  "the  young  widow  that  lived  at 
Harriet  Clay,"  and  that  "Old  Doctor  Kearsley  is  to 
be  married  this  week  to  Mrs.  Bland  Mrs.  Usher's  niece 
that  lives  near  the  Burying  ground,"  he  went  on  to  say: 
"Doctor  Bond  is  gone  to  spend  the  winter  at  Bar- 
badoes  in  a  low  state  of  health;  it  is  thought  he  will 
continue  there  if  the  climate  agrees  with  him — Last 
week  Judah  Foulke  had  a  son  born — no  small  joy — 
About  20  of  us  baptized  it  last  Monday  at  John  Biddle's 
in  hot  arrack  punch — and  his  name  is  called  Cad- 
walader— John  Smith  has  passed  our  meeting  with 
Miss  Hannah  Logan — I  would  give  you  more,  now 
my  hand  is  in,  if  I  could  recollect  ..." 

Nowadays  the  complaint  is  made  that  a  man  cannot 
read  any  real  news  in  a  letter.  Evidently  the  race  has 
deteriorated  in  this  respect  since  the  days  of  John  Ross. 
At  any  rate  he  makes  a  better  success  as  a  disseminator 
of  gossip  than  Peggy  Shippen  Arnold  who  wrote, 
just  after  the  British  evacuated  Philadelphia: 

"  Joesy  must  have  looked  perfectly  cha'mmg  in  the 
Character  of  Father.  I  wish  he'd  pay  us  a  Vis  as  I 
make  no  doubt  he's  much  improved  by  being  so  long  in 
Maryland.  Mr  White  tells  me  his  present  flame  is  a 
Miss  Peggy  Spear  of  Baltimore  you  may  remember 
her  she  lived  at  Mrs.  Smith's  a  pretty  little  girl  enough. 
What  think  you  of  the  Weather,  wont  it  be  a  bar  to  our 
hopes?  I  much  fear  it  will  Hi  Ho  I  cant  hip  sighing 
when  I  think  of  it.  Oh!  the  Ball,  not  a  lady  there  the 
Committee  of  real  Whigs  met  in  the  afternoon  & 

231 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

frightened  the  Beaux  so  much  that  they  went  around 
to  all  the  ladies  that  meant  to  go  to  desire  they'd  stay 
at  home,  tho'  it  seems  the  Committee  had  no  thoughts 
of  molesting  being  all  of  their  own  Kidney.  .I'm  de- 
lighted that  it  came  to  nothing  as  they  had  the  impudence 
to  laugh  at  US." 

Not  all  the  writers  of  the  old-time  letters  were  light- 
hearted.  There  were  times  when  the  carefully  written 
message  was  put  together  by  one  whose  heart  was 
breaking.  The  story  of  one  such  heartbreak  began 
with  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Henry  Melchior  Muhlen- 
berg  to  his  friend  the  court  chaplain  Ziegenhagen  in 
London.  To  him  he  said: 

"Your  Reverence  will  kindly  permit  me  .  .r  .  to 
make  a  humble  inquiry  and  request  of  you.  My 
oldest  son,  Peter,  is  entering  his  sixteenth  year.  I 
have  had  him  taught  to  read  and  write  German  and 
English,  and,  after  the  necessary  instruction,  he  had 
been  confirmed  in  our  Evangelical  Church;  morever, 
since  I  have  been  in  Philadelphia,  I  have  sent  him  to 
the  Academy  to  learn  the  rudimenta  linguae  latinae. 
But  now  I  write  in  great  anxiety  on  account  of  the 
corruption  among  the  impudent  and  emancipated 
youth  of  this  city,  and  I  am  not  able  to  provide  for 
his  welfare  any  longer.  It  would  be  a  great  scandal 
and  offense  in  my  position,  and  to  |the  ruin  of  his 
own  soul,  if  he  should  fall  into  wild  ways.  Is  there 
not  an  opportunity  ...  for  him  to  learn  surgery, 
or  even  an  honest  trade?  Or  will  the  blessed  Insti- 
tution in  Glaucha  by  the  power  of  God,  reach  so 
far  as  to  provide  for  him?  Next  spring  I  shall  have  a 
good  opportunity  to  send  him  hence  to  London." 

So  to  London  Peter  was  sent  in  1763,  and  with  him 
were  the  two  brothers  nearest  to  him  in  age,  Friedrich 
and  Heinrich.  Peter  soon  after  entered  the  prepara- 

232 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

tory  school  of  the  University  of  Halle.  Here  all  went 
well  for  a  time,  but  about  a  year  later  a  tutor  reproved 
him  in  a  way  that  the  high-spirited  Peter  thought  was 
insulting.  So  the  boy  boxed  the  tutor's  ears.  Fearing 
the  inevitable  punishment  he  fled  and  enlisted  in  a 
passing  regiment. 

When  the  news  of  the  disaster  came  to  Philadelphia, 
the  tortured  father  wrote  a  pitiful  letter  to  G.  A. 
Francke  at  Halle:  , 

"Dearest  Benefactor: 

" .  .  .  I  see  .  .  .  with  sorrow  that  my  eldest 
boy  has  allowed  himself  to  be  overcome  by  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  and  gone  headlong  to  destruc- 
tion, and  that  the  youngest  son  is  not  far  behind.  .  .  . 
It  mortifies  and  bows  me  to  the  ground  with  shame  to 
find  that  your  Reverence  and  other  children  of  God 
have  been  caused  so  much  care,  anxiety,  and  vexation 
by  the  sending  abroad  of  my  perverse  offspring,  all  of 
which  I  am  in  no  condition  to  make  amends  for  ... 
Lest  the  cause  of  God  should  suffer  harm  or  injury 
through  me  and  mine,  I  am  obliged  to  sever  my  con- 
nection with  the  church,  and  to  leave  it,  after  God,  to 
be  cared  for  in  the  future  by  those  revered  ones  in 
authority  .  .  .  and  betake  myself  to  a  place  where 
I  can  bring  up  my  children  rightly,  and  devote  the 
rest  of  my  strength  to  the  most  abandoned  of  mankind. 

"...  According  to  the  English  law,  the  parents 
have  this  advantage,  that  a  son  cannot  engage  in 
anything  before  his  majority  without  his  father's  con- 
sent. If,  before  this  time,  a  boy  enlists  or  contracts 
marriage  without  his  father's  consent,  such  action  is 
void,  and  the  father  can  either  put  him  in  the  House 
of  Correction,  or  sell  him  until  his  Majority.  .  .  .If 
my  boy  had  played  me  this  trick  here  ...  I  would 
have  sold  him  as  a  servant  until  his  majority." 

233 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

A  friend  of  the  Muhlenberg  family,  a  British  Colo- 
nel, discovered  Peter  in  a  garrison  in  Hanover.  After 
securing  his  release,  he  sent  him  to  America,  where 
he  arrived  in  1766.  It  is  recorded  that,  in  spite  of  his 
harsh  letter,  Dr.  Muhlenberg  received  the  prodigal 
with  open  arms.  Peter  thereupon  asked  to  go  into 
the  army,  but  he  was  persuaded  instead  to  receive 
training  at  home  for  the  Church.  So  careful  and  wise 
was  his  father's  training  that  the  son  was  ready  for 
ordination  in  1768. 

In  1772  Dr.  Muhlenberg  had  further  evidence  of 
the  wisdom  of  his  course  in  devoting  himself  so  as- 
siduously to  the  welfare  of  his  sons,  for  on  February 
23  of  that  year  he  was  able  to  write: 

"My  son  Friedrich,  a  stricter  Lutheran  than  Peter, 
lets  me  have  a  distant  hope,  that  if  God,  in  His  great 
mercy  and  grace,  preserves  him,  strengthens  him  by 
His  spirit,  and  promotes  his  growth,  he  may  become  in 
the  future  a  fellow  worker  in  the  Philadelphia  Church. 
He  has  by  nature  an  honest  heart,  some  experience  of 
God's  grace,  a  tolerably  clear  head,  a  sound  stomach 
and  moderate  bodily  organs.  He  can  endure  hard- 
ship and  is  more  accustomed  to  the  American  climate 
than  a  born  European;  he  has  a  fine,  clear,  penetrating 
voice  for  Zion,  and  family  connections  by  means  of 
which  he  can  by  Divine  grace  be  settled.  He  has 
already  made  one  or  two  trials  in  his  poor  little  con- 
gregations, which  pleased  me  well,  and  has  been  over 
hasty  once  or  twice,  with  good  intentions,  however, 
and  I  willingly  overlooked  it  and  endeavoured  to  show 
him  the  right  way,  for  young  soldiers  sometimes  want 
to  discharge  their  guns  before  they  are  loaded,  from  a 
courageous  anxiety  to  kill  the  enemy  before  they  can 
hit  him." 

234 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

William  Penn  would  have  been  delighted  with  these 
letters  of  a  father  eager  for  his  children's  welfare,  for 
the  great  founder  was  himself  a  loving  father,  as  speci- 
mens of  his  letters  to  his  children  show.  One  of  his 
fatherly  letters  was  written  to 

"My  dear  Springet 

"Be  good,  learn  to  fear  god,  avoide  evil,  love  thy 
books,  be  Kind  to  thy  Brother  &  Sister  &  god  will 
bless  thee  &  I  will  exceedingly  love  thee.  farewell 
Dear  Child.  My  love  to  all  ye  Famely  &  to  Friends. 
Thy  Dear  Father." 

Again  he  wrote  to  his  daughter: 

"Dear  Letitia 

"I  dearly  love  ye,  &  would  have  thee  sober,  learn 
thy  book  &  love  thy  Brothers.  I  will  Send  thee  a 
pretty  Book  to  learn  in.  Ye  Lord  bless  thee  &  make  a 
good  woman  of  thee.  fare  well. 

"Thy    Dear    Father." 

A  third  letter  in  the  series : 

"Dear  Bille 

"I  love  thee  much,  therefore  be  Sober  &  quiet,  and 
learn  his  book,  I  will  send  him  one.  so  ye  lord  bless  ye. 
Amen. 

"Thy   Dr.   Far:" 

One  hundred  years  later  there  lived  in  Philadelphia 
a  father  who  knew  how  to  win  the  confidence  of  his 
daughter.  This  man  was  General  "Mad  Anthony" 
Wayne.  In  1786  he  wrote  to  his  daughter  Margarita 
a  letter  that  must  have  brought  great  joy  to  her  loyal 
heart: 

"Pardon  me  my  dear  Girl  for  so  long  a  Silence 
Occasioned  by  a  variety  of  disagreeable  circumstances 
all  of  which  I  supported  with  steady  fortitude — except 

235 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

the  death  of  my  long  tried  nearest  &  dearest  friend  & 
Neighbour   Major   General   Greene. 

"  .  .  .  Pray  write  without  reserve  make  me  your 
friend  &  confident  &  be  assured  that  nothing  in  the 
power  of  a  fond  Parent  will  be  wanting  to  constitute 
the  true  happiness  of  a  Daughter  who  I  am  confident 
will  prove  herself  worthy  of  it. 

" .  .  .  Believe  me  my  Dear  Girl  yours  most 
sincerely 

"Anty  Wayne." 

And  the  father  in  his  turn  had  the  joy  of  receiving 
from  his  daughter  a  warm  and  tender  letter: 

"My  Dear  and  Honoured  Papa 

"  .  .  .1  thank  my  Dear  Papa  for  the  good  advice 
he  gives  me  in  every  letter  respecting  my  conduct  in 
this  life;  I  shall  in  every  respect  behave  myself  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  gain  the  good  opinion  of  all  my  friends 
and  acquaintances;  and  hope  at  a  later  day  to  resign 
myself  without  fear.  I  hope  my  Dear  Papa  will  not  be 
displeas'd  with  me  in  being  so  long  absent  from  Mrs. 
Kearney's.  It  was  with  friends  advice.  You  write 
me  Papa  to  speak  my  sentiments  therefore  shall  in- 

f orme  you  that  every  persone  thinks  Mrs.  K board 

is  very  expensive,  and  I  thought  I  wou'd  have  Papa's 
opinion  it  is  a  Guinea  a  week. 

" .  .  .1  have  seen  my  Brother,  he  is  very  hearty 
&  comes  on  fast  in  his  learning  he  is  at  present  studying 
Greek.  I  think  your  letter  Papa  will  encourage  him 
to  learn,  as  he  often  wish'd  he  cou'd  receive  a  letter 
from  you. 

"Before  a  conclusion  I  must  once  again  show  Papa 
how  greatly  I  am  in  gratitude  &  in  duty  bound  to 
thank  him  for  his  kind  protection  and  how  void  of 
understanding  shou'd  I  be  if  I  was  not  to  follow  his 
advice  and  example  and  try  to  make  myself  worthy  of 
his  paternal  Friendship  ...  It  makes  me  look  back 
236 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

with  sorrow,  when  I  think  what  a  great  loss  a  Father  is, 
for  example  Aunt  Sally's  family  what  a  loss  as  these 
poor  orphans  met  with,  to  loose  a  Father  just  when 
they  had  come  to  know  the  good  of  one.  Papa  we 
Can't  prize  health  too  much,  it  is  a  very  valuable 
Blessing,  &  I  hope  you  have  a  reasonable  share  of  it  .  . 
"With  every  mark  of  respect  I  am  my  dear  Papa's 
Dutiful  &  affectionate  Daughter." 

It  is  fitting  that  these  letters  exchanged  between 
father  and  daughter  should  be  followed  by  a  message  sent 
in  1813  by  General  Andrew  Porter  of  Harrisburg  to  his 
son  James,  who  was  attending  school  in  Philadelphia: 

"Dear   James 

"...  Let  your  purchases  of  books  be  of  those  of 
the  law,  and  your  studies  confined  to  that  profession, 
until  your  acquirements  become  conspicuous.  Your 
services  will  then  be  sought  after,  and  your  talents 
appreciated  If  you  pay  attention  to  various  things 
and  your  pursuits  are  diversified,  you  will  never  rise  to 
the  head  of  your  profession,  and  to  be  a  pettifogger 
would  be  more  disgraceful  than  to  be  a  poor  day  laborer. 
You  have  talents  and  acquirements  that  promise  fair 
to  raise  you  to  eminence,  and  no  doubt  will,  if  you  con- 
fine them  to  the  profession  of  the  Law.  A  good  char- 
acter, amiable  disposition,  and  superior  acquirements, 
with  your  talents,  will  no  doubt  raise  you  to  the  height 
of  your  ambition.  .  .  . 

"I  am  now  grown  old.  A  very  few  years  more, 
and  the  anxiety  and  advice  of  your  father  will  cease 
forever.  Be  not  too  credulous,  and  trust  not  the 
plausable  profession  of  men  too  far,  lest  you  purchase 
experience  too  dearly.  Think  for  yourself  and  mark 
out  your  line  of  conduct  with  wisdom  and  prudence." 

The  fortunate  son  of  such  a  father  profited  by  the 
advice  so  earnestly  given,  for  he  lived  to  become  one 

237 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

of  the  state's  ablest  lawyers.  He  was  later  a  member 
of  President  Tyler's  cabinet,  where,  it  was  said,  Webster 
alone  was  superior  to  him. 

Wisdom  of  a  different  sort  is  to  be  seen  in  another 
family  letter,  that  sent  in  1781  by  Miss  Rebecca  Franks 
to  her  Bister  Abigail,  Mrs.  Andrew  Hamilton.  At  the 
time  of  writing  she  was  in  Flatbush,  Long  Island, 
from  where  she  made  frequent  visits  to  New  York. 
She  was  a  loyal  Philadelphian,  however,  and  New 
York's  charm  could  not  wean  her  from  her  love  for  the 
city  on  the  Delaware.  She  said : 

"  .  .  .1  will  do  our  ladies,  that  is  Philadelphians, 
the  justice  to  say  they  have  more  cleverness  in  the  turn 
of  an  eye  than  the  N.  Y.  girls  have  in  their  whole  com- 
position. With  what  ease,  have  I  seen  a  Chew,  a 
Penn,  Oswald,  Allen  and  a  thousand  others,  entertain  a 
large  circle  of  both  sexes,  and  the  conversation  without 
the  aid  of  cards  not  flag  or  seem  the  least  bit  strain' d  or 
stupid,  Here,  or  more  properly  speaking  in  N.  Y.  you 
enter  the  room  with  a  formal  set  curtsey  and  after  the 
how  do's,  'tis  a  fine,  or  a  bad  day,  and  those  trifling 
nothings  are  finished  all's  a  dead  calm  till  the  cards  are 
introduced,  when  you  see  pleasure  dancing  in  the  eyes  of 
all  the  matrons  and  they  seem  to  gain  new  life.  The 
misses,  if  they  have  a  favourite  swain,  frequently  decline 
playing  for  the  pleasure  of  making  love — for  to  all 
appearances  'tis  the  ladies  and  not  the  gentlemen  that 
show  a  preference  nowadays.  'Tis  here,  I  fancy, 
always  leap  year.  For  my  part  that  am  used  to  quite 
another  mode  of  behaviour,  I  cannot  help  shewing  my 
surprise,  perhaps  they  call  it  ignorance,  when  I  see  a 
lady  single  out  her  pet  to  lean  almost  in  his  arms  at  an 
Assembly  or  play-house,  (which  I  give  my  honour  I 
have  too  often  seen  both  in  married  and  in  single), 
238 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

and  to  hear  a  lady  confess  a  partiality  for  a  man  who 
perhaps  she  has  not  seen  three  times   .    .    . 

"  .  .  .1  shall  send  a  pattern  of  the  newest  bonnet, 
there  is  no  crown,  but  guaze  raised  on  wire,  and  quite 
pinched  to  a  sugar  loaf  at  top, — the  lighter  the  trim- 
ming the  more  fashionable  ..." 

Probably  the  sprightly  Miss  Franks  had  commis- 
sions to  execute  for  her  Philadelphia  friends.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  find  a  post-bag  that  does  not  contain 
requests  to  buy  something  or  a  message  from  one  who 
has  tried  more  or  less  conscientiously  to  satisfy  the 
friend  who  has  made  the  request. 

Away  back  in  1702,  Robert  Carter,  of  Philadelphia, 
sent  to  Jonathan  Dickinson  a  letter  of  the  latter  sort: 

"I  received  thine  wherein  thee  requested  to  buy  a 
Deer  of  me  by  Tom  pryor  and  he  not  having  opper- 
tunity  to  send  desired  me  to  convey  it  to  Robert  Barber, 
I  considering  it  might  be  hazardous  of  the  loss  of  him 
in  a  straing  place  am  willing  to  acquaint  thee  that  it 
will  be  best  to  convey  it  at  once  to  Towne  or  into  the 
vessel,  as  to  the  price  if  through  divine  providence 
thou  arrive  at  thy  desiered  port  thou  mayest  make  me 
some  small  returne  according  to  thy  pleasure,  so  with 
dear  love  to  thee  &  thy  wife 

"I  am  thy  very  Loveing  Friend." 

To  the  same  Jonathan  Dickinson  Rachel  Preston, 
sent  from  Philadelphia,  in  1707,  a  supply  of  goods  of 
which  she  wrote: 

"Sum  accident  haping  which  brought  pattrick 
back  after  he  left  this  plaace  with  Intentions  to  proced 
his  viage  which  lias  given  me  an  oppertunity  to  put 
on  borde  a  small  box  derected  to  be  left  with  your 
brother  Gomersell  wherein  is  four  botells  of  Syrup  of 
Cloves  three  of  Rose  watter  three  Rose  Cakes  two 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

dear  skins  which  I  got  thomais  griffith  to  chuse  as  y° 
best  to  be  had  in  ye  town.  ...  I  ...  am  not  out 
of  hopes  of  having  a  litell  more  to  send  with  ye  huney 
as  soon  as  any  new  comes  in,  which  with  Indeared 
love  conclude  this  .  .  .  shall  subscribe  your  affec- 
tional  friend  tho  much  disordered  at  present." 

From  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  in  1781,  John  Cox 
had  a  delicate  mission  to  perform,  in  a  letter  to  Hannah 
Pemberton  of  Philadelphia.  He  began,  very  diplo- 
matically, as  far  as  possible  from  the  main  purpose  of 
the  letter: 

"Dear  Cousin 

"It  was  a  fortunate  Circumstance  that  thy  sweet 
little  form  was  not  deposited  in  our  Sleigh,  for  we 
never  reach' d  the  habitation  of  Fidelia  till  Nine  O'clock, 
very  cold  &  wet.  I  have  not  time  now  to  expatiate  on 
the  manifold  wretchedness  of  our  calamitous  situation 
in  crossing  Ankokas  Creek,  and  other  et  ceteras,  that 
shall  be  the  subject  of  a  future  letter.  In  this,  I  take 
the  liberty  of  tresspasing  on  thy  time  to  request  on 
behalf  of  a  lady — a  genteel  Stranger  in  this  Town — 
that  thee  will  be  good  enough  to  speak  for  a  pair  of 
the  very  best  and  most  fashionable  Stays,  and  get  them 
finish' d  as  soon  as  may  be.  I  have  been  often  press' d 
to  take  this  Commission,  and  as  often  evaded  it,  lest  I 
should  not  execute  it  to  satisfaction — but  she  insists  on 
my  taking  it  under  my  Care,  &  I  promised  to  write  to 
some  lady  of  my  acquaintance  in  the  City,  on  the 
subject.  I  should  have  made  some  enquiry  when  in 
Town,  but  it  escaped  my  Memory.  If  thee  can  rec- 
ollect the  size  of  Kitty  Lawrence,  it  will  be  a  guide  to 
thee  in  the  form  &c.  perhaps  thy  own  size  will  be  as 
good  a  model."  .  .  . 

It  was  a  different  sort  of  commission  that  Judge 
Richard  Peters  sent  to  Jonathan  Jones  from  Belmont 

240 


PEEPS  INTO   THE   POST   BAG 

in  1814,  but  it  was  in  its  way  quite  as  delicate;  only  a 
brave  man  will  attempt  to  get  the  truth  of  a  fish  story. 
Yet  such  a  request  the  genial  judge  made: 

"At  our  last  meeting  you  were  so  good  as  to  promise 
you  would  see  Mr.  Hayes  &  procure  his  Account  of  the 
Shad  caught  in  Schuylkill  after  having  been  marked  in  a 
preceding  Season.  The  fact  is  singular — ,  &  I  had  it 
well  ascertained  to  me,  that  similar  Facts  had  before 
happened.  I  wish  to  be  fortified  in  my  Communication 
of  it  to  the  Philadelphia  Society,  by  Testimony  so  rep- 
utable as  that  of  Mr.  Hayes,  who  perhaps  is  reluctant 
at  writing;  tho'  I  only  want  a  plain  narrative.  I 
must  beg  of  you  to  take  an  early  opportunity  of  calling 
on  him  and  in  a  letter  communicate  to  me  the  Facts. 
I  think  35  were  marked  &  25  caught — so  I  understood 
him  to  say. 

"Relate  aU  circumstances — how  marked — where 
and  at  what  time  caught. 

"Mr.  Hughes  was  to  inform  me  about  the  3  Bushels 
of  Chimney  Swallows,  which  were  smothered  ...  at 
a  Mr.  J.  William's  near  the  Gulph.  Can  you  get  the 
Facts  on  the  Subject?  But  one  at  a  time  you  will 
think  enough." 

For  many  years  there  were  more  important  things 
than  fish  stories  to  investigate  or  commissions  to  fill 
at  the  city  markets.  During  the  generation  from  1755 
to  the  close  of  the  Revolution  the  subject  of  letters  was 
apt  to  be  the  troubled  state  of  the  times.  Thus  Sally 
Armitt  wrote  in  1755  to  Susanna  Wright,  pleading 
with  her  to  seek  safety  by  coming  from  the  country 
to  the  hospitable  Armitt  home  in  Philadelphia: 

"It  is  impossible  to  express  the  uneasiness  that  I 
am  under  on  the  account  of  your  Family,  I  wish  you 
would  come  to  town,  as  it  must  be  more  dangerous  on 
e  river,  dear  Susy  we  have  Several  Spare  rooms 

241 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

which  you  shall  be  very  welcome  to  and  we  shall  take  it 
as  a  favour.  I  know  thee  would  not  chuse  to  be  in  a 
Family  were  thee  could  not  make  free,  dear  Susy, 
the  shall  be  as  if  at  home  in  our  House,  but  if  you 
chuse  not  to  be  with  Your  Friends,  and  would  take  a 
house,  we  have  a  great  deal  of  new  furniture  that  was 
made  before  my  daddy  dye'd,  which  you  shall  be  ex- 
ceeding welcome  to  while  you  are  in  town." 

In  1766  Lambert  Cadwalader  of  Philadelphia, 
wrote  to  George  Morgan,  of  Pittsburgh,  a  brief  message 
that  showed  the  intensity  of  feeling  in  the  colony  be- 
cause of  the  opposition  of  the  mother  country : 

"I  have  now  the  pleasure  of  communicating  to  you 
the  joyful  news  of  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act,  news 
that  almost  calls  back  youth  to  the  aged,  gives  health 
and  vigour  to  the  sick  and  infirm  .  .  .  America  is 
again  free!  God  bless  her;  long  may  she  remain  so." 

In  1774  there  came  out  of  Philadelphia  the  tidings, 
written  by  William  Redwood  to  William  Ellery,  that 
freedom  seemed  nearer  than  ever : 

" .  .  .1  have  had  an  opportunity  of  hearing  the 
sentiments  of  all  the  Gentlemen  Delegates  from  the 
Several  Provinces  now  in  the  city,  Respecting  the 
unhappy  Differences  between  G.  Britain  and  the 
Colonies,  and  they  appear  to  be  firm  in  the  Cause  of 
Liberty,  they  are  all  very  free  and  conversable  as  the 
Congress  will  be  held  in  Carpenter's  Hall  which  is 
directly  opposite  my  House,  I  shall  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  hearing  from  time  to  time  how  they  go  on,  I 
apprehend  they  will  be  the  Most  Respectable  Body 
that  ever  met  together  in  North  America." 

The  day  came  when  the  Revolutionary  army  was  in 
camp.  Then  Edward  Tilghman,  Jr.,  sent  to  Benjamin 

242 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

Chew  a  requisition  for  some  of  the  things  he  needed 
for  his  health  and  the  better  service  of  his  country : 

"Some  time  ago  I  wrote  for  severall  Things — The 
Hunting  Shirt  I  do  not  now  want — would  write  for  all 
the  other  Things  ...  A  Horse  I  must  have  .  .  . 
My  Leather  Breeches  must  be  washed  and  sent  .  .  . 
&  with  them  my  Boot-Buckles  ...  a  buff  Waist- 
coat with  a  narrow  Lace  &  a  Scrub  Coat  to  ride  in  rain 
with,  Two  30  Dollar  Bills  in  a  Letter  well  secured. 
My  Cutteau  and  Belt.  The  Waist  Coat  should  have 
the  lace  taken  off  I  think  and  cut  so  as  to  make  a  bell 
regimental  Waist  coat  &  Lace  sold  for  Epilets  ...  I 
have  six  shirts,  two  more  would  not  be  amiss  &  Handkfs 
2  pr  Stockings  fit  for  Boots  ..." 

In  an  old  chest,  bought  at  auction  in  Philadelphia 
a  few  years  ago,  the  purchaser  discovered  under  a 
false  bottom  two  commissions  to  officers  who  served 
in  the  Revolution  as  well  as  half  a  dozen  letters  from 
one  of  these  officers,  Captain  William  Steel,  to  his 
wife  in  Lancaster.  One  of  these  letters,  dated  in 
Philadelphia,  July  30,  1776,  was  addressed  to  "My 
Dear  and  Loving  Companion,"  The  message  she  read 
was  as  follows: 

"I  wrote  to  you  the  other  day  But  it  rejoices  me  to 
have  this  opportunity  to  write  to  you  this  evening 
tide  or  the  morning  tide  we  set  sail  for  Trenton  and 
from  that  to  Amboy  at  headquarters  the  people  are 
flocking  in  here  like  bees  .  .  .  My  dear  wife  rejoice 
that  you  have  your  dear  father  and  mother  to  live 
with  there  is  many  men  here  left  their  Wives  in  a 
poor  situation  and  must  go  on  there  is  no  help  for  them 
Dear  wife  I  thought  you  would  not  miss  any  good 
opportunity  to  write  to  an  absent  friend  to  let  me 
know  how  you  and  my  little  son  is  in  particular  and 
all  the  rest  of  the  family  ...  I  would  not  forget 
you  so  soon,  but  I  ascribe  it  to  your  grief  y*  you  aint 

243 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

in  a  capacity  to  write  or  else  you  would  not  have  neg- 
lected me  My  dear  let  the  fear  of  God  be  always  before 
your  eyes,  pray  to  him  for  supporting  grace  and  his 
kind  protection  over  you  that  both  may  enjoy  peace 
and  tranquility  until  I  see  you  both  .  .  .  this  from 
your  loving  husband." 

A  final  dip  into  the  post-bag  brings  to  light  two 
letters  which  are  in  great  contrast.  One  of  them  was 
written  by  Benjamin  Franklin,  though  one  would 
not  readily  ascribe  it  to  him  if  it  did  not  carry  his  name. 
It  was  written  in  the  third  person  to  an  artist  who  had 
grievously  disappointed  the  philosopher: 

"Dr.  Franklin  presents  his  Compliments  to  Mr. 
Meyer,  and  prays  him  not  to  detain  any  longer  the 
Picture  from  which  he  was  to  make  a  Miniature,  but 
return  it  by  the  Bearer.  Hopes  Mr.  Meyer  will  not 
think  him  impatient,  as  he  has  waited  full  Five  Years, 
and  seen  many  of  his  Acquaintance,  tho'  applying 
later,  served  before  him.  Wishes  Mr.  Meyer  not  to 
give  himself  the  trouble  of  making  any  more  Apologies, 
or  to  feel  the  least  Pain  on  Act.  of  his  disappointing 
Dr.  Franklin,  who  assures  him,  he  never  was  disap- 
pointed by  him  but  once,  not  having  for  several  Years 
past  since  he  has  known  the  Character  of  his  Veracity, 
had  the  smallest  dependence  upon  it." 

Charles  Norris  was  the  writer  of  the  final  letter. 
His  heart  must  have  been  very  light.  Evidently  the 
winter  of  1753  had  been  mild,  for  he  wrote  on  February 
15,  and  spring  must  then  have  been  well  on  the  way. 
At  least  the  letter  was  so  full  of  spring  that  there  was 
little  room  for  anything  else.  The  letter,  which  was 
sent  to  James  Wright,  began: 

"My  Good  ffriend 

"It  gave  me  pleasure  to  hear  you  got  home  well, 

and  as  thee  mentions  the  Weathr  I  shall  observe,  When 

244 


W.S 

EH   »S 


g-cffl 
r  "  -• 


PEEPS  INTO  THE  POST  BAG 

Froggs  and  Flys  the  Land  possess,  To  moderate  the 
Colds  Excess,  By  croaking  throats  and  Humming  Wing, 
Gladly  to  welcome  the  approaching  Spring,  When 
these  their  Watry  Council  hold,  and  These  Salute 
with  bussings  Bold,  we  may  conclude  the  winter's 
past,  and  Geneal  Spring  approaches  fast — which 
brings  to  mind  the  Gardiner's  Care,  To  plant  and  Soe 
all  things  rare,  and  first  we  think  of  Colliflowers  tast, 
To  Soe  its  Seed  with  utmost  hast,  for  fear  the  Season 
sh'd  relaps  and  we  not  regale  our  Watry  Chaps,  with 
Its  delicious  tast  &  food,  wch  sure  wo'd  put  in  Dudgeon 
mood,  Then  how  shall  I  the  sequell  tell,  when  those 
Possest  with  seed,  won't  sell.  However  to  be  a  little 
more  serious  Debby  bids  me  tell  thee  that  she's  in  hopes 
to  prevale  on  Dubree  to  spare  a  little  &  this  was  a 
good  Day  to  have  sent  a  Messenger,  wod  not  have  post- 
poned it  till  another  .  .  . 

"Please  To  Tender  my  Grateful  Acceptances  of 
the  Muffatees  to  my  kind  friend  Sukey  Taylor,  &  tell 
her  were  I  a  young  Fellow,  from  whose  Mouth  or  Pen 
such  return  wod  be  suitable  &  apropo,  wod  say,  was  the 
Weathr  as  Cold  as  Green  Lands  Air,  Its  utmost  Rigour 
I  wod  not  fear,  but  Proud  to  Breathe  the  Frigid  Land, 
while  arm'd  wth  Shield  from  thy  fair  hand,  I'd  think 
the  Region  not  too  Cool,  but  warm  my  heart  by  Buf- 
falo's wool.  But  in  more  moderate  Terms  may,  And 
perhaps  with  greater  Sincerity,  acquaint  her  wth  my 
obligations  for  her  warm  presnt  Truly  Debby  tells  me 
she  intends  to  Borrow  them  on  Extraordinary  Occa- 
sions, to  Draw  over  her  Gloves,  and  wth  a  Muff  to 
Defend  her  arms  from  any  Cold  our  Clymat  has  in  petto." 

Surely  Charles  Norris  could  give  pointers  to  the 
writers  of  weird  lines  that  modern  versifiers  have  the 
temerity  to  call  poetry.  At  any  rate  it  is  easy  to  gather 
his  meaning,  and  that  is  something  that  cannot  be 
done  with  the  average  writer  of  what  one  critic  has 
called  the  Charlie  Chaplin  school  of  poetry. 

245 


XII 
WHEN  TRAVEL  WAS  DIFFICULT 

PROUD  OF  THIRTY  CARTS — WHY  THE  CHAIR  WAS  DELAYED — A  MAKESHIFT 
FOR  SHEETS — THE  LANDLADY  WHOSE  EYES  WERE  "NONE  OF  THE 
PRETTIEST" — A  VAIN  FLIGHT  FOR  SAFETY — To  LONG  BRANCH  UNDER 
DIFFICULTIES — SHE  "ONLY  OVERSET  TWISTE" — THE  STEAMBOAT  A 
PHILADELPHIA  INVENTION — WHY  THE  EAGLE  DID  NOT  BEAT  THE 
PHCENIX 

IN  1697,  fourteen  years  after  the  founding  of 
Philadelphia,  it  was  a  matter  of  local  pride  that 
there  were  "thirty  carts  and  other  wheeled  ve- 
hicles" hi  the  town.  It  can  well  be  imagined,  then, 
that  there  was  little  travel  to  the  outer  regions,  and 
that  when  a  trip  was  absolutely  necessary  it  had  to  be 
made,  usually  either  on  horseback,  or  on  foot.  Travel 
on  foot  was  apt  to  be  preferable,  since  there  were  at 
that  time  few  roads,  though  there  were  trails  which 
had  been  made  by  Indian  travellers  during  many 
years.  These  were  so  narrow  that  wheeled  vehicles 
could  not  use  them. 

Yet  there  was  more  or  less  travel,  even  at  an  early 
date,  especially  across  the  Schuylkill  to  the  west  and 
northwest  and  across  the  Delaware  toward  Burlington, 
or  even  on  toward  New  York. 

In  1704  Lord  Cornbury  granted  to  John  Reeve 
the  privilege  of  keeping  a  ferry  between  Philadelphia 
and  Burlington,  New  Jersey.  The  curious  document 
which  told  of  the  privilege  read : 

"Edward  Viscount  Cornbury,  Captain-General  and 
Governor-in-Chief  in  and  over  her  Majesties  provinces 

246 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

of  New  Jersey,  New  York,  and  all  the  territories  and 
tracts  of  land  depending  thereon  in  America,  and  Vice- 
Admiral  of  the  same.  To  Jeremiah  Bass,  Esq.,  Sec- 
retary of  New  Jersey — greeting.  You  are  hereby 
required  that  you  forthwith  prepare  a  bill  to  pass  under 
the  Great  Seale  of  this  province,  containing  a  grant  or 
license  to  John  Reeve,  to  keep  the  ferry  betwixt  the 
town  of  Burlington  and  city  of  Philadelphia,  upon  the 
river  Delaware,  and  you  are  to  insert  therein  the  prices 
allowed  him  to  take  for  ferriage  of  either  goods,  pas- 
sengers, or  any  other  carriage,  viz. :  for  each  passenger 
in  company  from  the  feast  of  our  lady  to  the  feast  of 
St.  Michaell;  the  arch  angle,  for  the  summer  half  year — 
one  shilling,  if  single,  to  hire  the  boat,  six  shillings 
from  the  feast  of  St.  Michaell  the  arch  angle  to  the 
feast  of  our  lady  in  the  winter,  half  year,  single,  seven 
and  eight  pence;  in  company  fifteen  pence  for  every 
tun  of  flower;  ten  shillings  and  six  pence  for  every  tun 
of  bread;  ten  shillings  for  every  hogshead  of  rum;  three 
shillings  and  the  same  for  molasses  and  sugar;  for  every 
pipe  of  wine  five  shillings;  for  all  barrels  one  shilling 
per  piece;  for  lead  and  iron  six  pence  per  hundred;  for 
the  beef  ten  pence  per  quarter;  for  every  hogg  ten 
pence;  for  every  bushel  of  meale  and  salt  three  pence; 
sheep  and  calves  at  the  same  rate  with  the  hoggs  dead. 
And  you  are  to  take  security  for  the  due  performance 
of  the  same." 

The  ferry  provided  was  "an  open  boat  with  sails, 
giving  neither  comfort  nor  convenience  to  its  patrons, 
and  when  the  tide  and  wind  were  favorable  had  some 
pretensions  to  speed." 

Those  who  wished  to  go  from  Philadelphia  to  New 
York  made  use  of  the  ferry,  which,  at  least  after  April, 
1706,  connected  with  a  stage  for  Perth  Amboy.  At 
that  time  an  exclusive  grant  was  made  to  Hugh  Huddy, 
Gent,  of  Burlington,  to  conduct  the  stage.  According 

247 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

to  the  terms  of  the  grant  he  was  to  have  "full  power, 
license,  and  authority  by  himself,  his  servants  or  deputy, 
to  sett  up,  keep  use  and  imploy  one  or  more  stagecoach 
or  stage  coaches,  and  one  or  more  waggon  or  waggons, 
or  any  other,  and  soe  many  carrage  or  carrages  as  he 
shall  see  convenient  for  the  carrying  or  transportation 
of  goods  and  passengers."  The  grant  was  to  continue 
for  a  period  of  fourteen  years,  and  he  was  to  pay  for 
the  privilege,  "one  shilling  current  money  ...  to 
be  paid  .  .  .  upon  the  Feast-day  of  the  Annunciation 
of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  yearly  if  demanded." 

A  line  of  packets  from  Perth  Amboy  to  New  York 
enabled  the  traveler  to  make  the  third  stage  of  his 
arduous  journey  to  the  town  of  Manhattan. 

The  small  amount  of  the  annual  rental  is  perhaps 
to  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  roads  were  hardly 
worthy  the  name.  It  was  a  long,  long  way  from  Bur- 
lington to  Perth  Amboy,  for  the  early  road  builders 
sought  to  pass  around  the  head  of  streams,  rather 
than  to  cross  them,  and  the  difficulty  was  increased 
by  the  necessity  of  avoiding  hills  and  marshes. 

Generally  the  well-to-do  among  the  Colonists  or 
those  who  wanted  to  put  on  style  secured  either  a  chair 
or  a  chariot  for  use  in  the  streets  of  the  town  and,  on 
occasion,  on  journeys  into  the  country.  It  was  not 
always  an  easy  matter  to  secure  the  vehicle,  however, 
as  John  Wragg  discovered  in!741.  On  April  18  Richard 
Hockley  wrote  to  him  telling  the  reason  for  delay  in 
delivering  his  chair: 

"The  Chair  is  all  finish'd  except  the  Guilding  and 
I  have  sent  to  New  York  for  some  gold  leaf  we  having 
none  in  town  here  and  you  may  depend  on  it  in  a  short 

248 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

time.  I  am  willing  it  shou'd  look  like  the  other  part 
and  should  be  finished  in  the  best  manner  it  can  be 
done  here  and  I  heartily  wish  the  young  Ladies  health 
to  use  it." 

In  1761  twenty-nine  Philadelphians  were  the  proud 
possessors  of  chairs,  chariots,  or  other  wheeled  vehicles 
for  passenger  transport.  The  list  compiled  at  the  time 
included  the  names  of  the  Proprietor,  who  owned  one 
chariot,  the  Governour,  who  had  one  chariot;  the  Widow 
Francis,  David  Franks,  William  Logan,  Thomas  Willing, 
one  chariot  each;  David  Franks,  William  Logan, 
Samuel  MifBin,  Charles  Norris,  Isaac  Pemberton,  John 
Ross,  a  chaise  each,  while  there  was  in  the  city  one 
Landau — capitalized,  evidently  out  of  respect  for  the 
vehicle,  as  was  also  the  single  "4  wheel  post  Chaise." 
In  addition  to  the  vehicles  named  in  the  list  there  were 
others  of  a  minor  character  which  the  compiler  said 
were  beyond  his  "attempt  at  reckoning." 

Elizabeth  Drinker  told  in  her  diary  in  some  detail 
of  a  journey  which  she  made  to  New  York  in  September, 
1769,  in  company  with  her  husband  and  two  other 
men.  At  Bristol  they  took  dinner  and  were  glad  to 
meet  at  the  inn  two  other  Philadelphians  who,  with 
their  wives,  were  returning  home  from  New  York. 
Supper  was  eaten  at  Trenton,  Breakfast  next  day  was 
taken  at  Prince-Town,  while  Brunswick  was  reached 
in  time  for  dinner.  At  Brunswick  Mrs.  Drinker  wrote 
in  her  journal  telling  of  the  damage  done  by  a  storm, 
"Bridge  carried  away  by  ye  force  of  ye  water,  and  the 
Roads  greatly  hurt  by  it." 

The  second  day's  breakfast  was  eaten  at  Elizabeth- 
Town,  and  after  the  meal  they  "walked  thro'  part  of 

249 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

ye  town,  and  then  continued  the  journey  through  New 
Ark  and  Bergen  to  Powle's  Hook,  opposite  New  York. 
Saw  about  1500  sheep  belonging  to  that  place  and 
Elizabeth-Town,  attended  by  one  old  shepherd.  We 
crossed  in  the  Stage,  Hackensack  or  Second  river,  and 
Newark  River."  At  about  five  o'clock  the  North  River 
was  crossed,  and  the  adventurers  were  in  New  York- 
two  full  days  from  Philadelphia. 

After  six  days  in  and  around  New  York,  the  party 
went  to  Rockaway  Beach.  There  Mr.  Drinker  wished 
to  go  into  the  surf,  but  this  was  opposed,  "it  being 
very  high,  and  T.  P.  apprehending  it  dangerous  from 
the  undersuck  of  the  Waves  which  break  on  the  Beach." 
On  the  way  back  to  the  Inn,  the  party  "stopped  at  an 
Indian  Wig- Warn,  and  had  some  talk  with  the  master 
and  mistress — two  old  Indians." 

In  1771  the  Drinkers  took  a  summer  trip  to  Lancas- 
ter and  Reading,  using  their  own  conveyance.  Between 
dinner  and  supper  of  August  22  they  rode  "23  long 
miles."  Two  days  more  were  required  to  complete 
the  round-about  trip  to  Lancaster,  during  which  they 
forded  the  Schuylkill  and  branches  of  the  Brandywine 
and  Conestoga  Creeks. 

From  Lancaster  the  journey  was  continued  toward 
Reading.  At  Dunkers  Town  the  travelers  ate  "a 
hearty  supper  of  fried  Beefsteaks  and  Chocolate,  and 
lodged  all  in  one  room  very  comfortably."  At  Reading, 
in  company  with  friends  who  escorted  them,  "some 
on  horseback  and  some  in  carriages,"  they  climbed  a 
high  hill,  "one  of  the  Oley  hills."  After  a  time  they 
deserted  the  carriage  and  horses,  and  with  great  fatigue 
and  labor,  with  several  stops  to  rest,"  they  overcame 

250 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS  DIFFICULT 

all  obstructions  and  found  themselves  in  triumph  on 
the  summit. 

"This  evening,"  Mrs.  Drinker  wrote,  "our  Land- 
lady, a  dirty,  old,  Dutch  woman,  refused  changing 
very  dirty,  for  clean  sheets;  tho*  after  much  entreaty 
she  pretended  to  comply — but  we  found  to  our  morti- 
fication she  had  taken  the  same  sheets,  sprinkled  them, 
and  then  ironed  and  hung  them  by  the  fire,  and  placed 
them  again  on  the  bed;  so  that  we  were  Necessitated 
to  use  our  Cloaks,  &c.,  and  this  night  slept  without 
sheets.  With  the  assistance  of  our  two  servants  cook- 
ing, we  supped  pretty  well,  and  slept  better  than  we 
had  any  reason  to  expect,  all  in  one  room." 

After  passing  through  the  Town  of  Northampton, 
commonly  called  Allentown,  they  forded  a  creek 
called  Jordan,  and  soon  after  forded  the  Lehigh — "first 
from  the  shore  to  an  Island,  and  from  thence  over  the 
broad  and  stony  part  to  ye  other  shore." 

On  the  way  to  Nazareth  Hall,  the  journal  of  the 
trip  went  on,  "Our  Horse  stumbled  badly  in  a  rut;  I 
jumped  out  of  ye  chaise  and  strained  my  foot  badly, 
so  that  it  soon  swelled  much,  and  proved  very  painful." 

Philadelphia  was  reached  just  in  time  to  set  off  on  a 
business  trip  to  Coryell's  Tavern,  on  the  York  Road, 
where  Mr.  Drinker  was  to  meet  the  "commissioners 
appointed  for  improving  and  clearing  the  navigation 
of  the  river  Delaware." 

June  27,  1772,  saw  the  beginning  of  another  jour- 
ney, when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drinker  set  out  "in  ye  Chaise." 
"We  stopped  a  little  time  at  Fair-Hill,  at  Wm.  Hill's, 
where  Rachel  Drinker  and  her  son  Henry  joined  us 
in  their  chaise,"  Mrs.  Prinker  wrote,  "and  then  pro- 

251 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

ceeded  on  the  Old  York  road  until  we  came  to  Moses 
Sheppards,  about  11  miles  from  Philada,  where  we 
stopped  and  visited  the  Mineral  waters  opposite  his 
house,  where  one  French  has  contrived  a  Bath.  The 
water  tastes  pretty  strong.  At  Lloyd's  Tavern,  at  ye 
Porks  of  the  road  leading  to  Horsham  and  ye  Billet, 
we  stopped  and  dined  with  John  Drinker,  who  came 
soon  after  us;  his  son  returning  to  Town  on  our  young 
Horse  which  his  father  had  ridden  up.  Came  to  the 
widow  Jemmison's  where  we  supped  and  lodged." 

June  28  was  First  day,  so  the  party  went  to  Buck- 
ingham Meeting,  "said  to  be  the  largest  House,  and 
Body  of  Friends  belonging  to  it,  of  any  country  meeting 
in  the  Province."  After  dinner  the  journey  was  con- 
tinued to  Quakertown,  in  Jersey. 

The  return  trip  was  varied  by  a  turning  off  from 
the  Old  York  Road  towards  Abingdon,  Oxford  Church 
and  Frankford. 

A  more  satisfactory  account  of  a  trip  is  given  by 
Sarah  Eve,  because  she  takes  the  time  to  dwell  on  the 
views  along  the  wayside.  On  May  4,  1773,  the  journey 
began.  The  story  is  quoted  from  her  Journal : 

"Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  this  morning,  Mrs. 
Smith,  Mr.  Clifford,  and  I  in  the  carriage,  and  Mr. 
Smith  on  horseback,  set  off  for  Rocky  Point,  about 
seventeen  miles  distant  [opposite  Burlington].  The 
morning  was  as  fine  as  ever  shone  in  May,  and  the 
roads  exceeding  good.  We  passed  through  Frankford 
.  .  .  The  prospect  from  the  hill  after  crossing  the 
bridge,  is  really  pleasing;  one  has  a  fine  view  of  several 
houses  on  the  Point  side,  and  on  the  other  is  the  County 
road;  the  church  stands  on  the  right,  and  is  a  good-look- 
ing country  church  enough!  From  the  What  Sheff  I 

252 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 

T  He  Poft  fa*  art  from  Vnt-Tok  and  Bofla,  the  i4ih 
Day  of  this  hfcmt  M**.   and  are  to    perform 
thep-  Stages  W«xkW  till  Ctomfcrecxt.    Which»Ker»tior,of 
the  Poft  will  occifion  this    Ne*i  Piper    tu  come   forth 
every  71*'  fa,    on  which  Day  the  PoA  fete  out   from 

Marth    &th    i 


the  Northern  Poft  fcto  out  from  thv- 
To*,  >n  order  to  perform  his  Stage  but  once  a  Fortnight, 
during  «ha  Winter  Quarter;  the  Southern  Polt  ch*ftge<alfo. 
which  v»ill  caufe  th>«  Paper  to  corne  out  on  <Tu<foaii  during 
that  Time.  '  The  Cold»  which  have  infcn^d  (at  Northern 
Colonies  htve  »lfo  been  troublefcm*  her*.  Jew  Families 
having  efcaped  the  fame,  feveraf  have  been  carrj'd  eff  br 


C-old,  annong  . 

Year  of  his  A^e.  ha  «»  the  fit(\  M.«  that  ha  J  a  Bnck 
Houfe  in  th<  City  of  PiUltUfhta,  and  wavmuch  *««cm'd 
fra-  hi*  joft  and  upright  dealing.  There  goes  B  Report  h«-t, 
tHait  the  Lord  &*ltieurt  »nd  fti»  Lad;  are  arrived  in  .Vary- 
ImmJ,  but  the  Soufhern  Pofl  being  not  y«  come  in,  the  f»id 
Report  wants 


:,,ut  (u  """e  reply  loo,  txcjufe  the  pub- 
ft«S«  and 
aft  claufe  of 
»reonetidie 


»tfJttpt4,    pl<rL«r*!*r    ff    J4f£ 

Philadelphia  and  Perth-  Amboy  Stages. 
^OTICE  is  hereby  given,  that  we 

the  Sobi*ber«,  John  BuHv,  of  Phi!a<Mph,j 
»t  the  Signot  th.  D^th  o»  ^h.  ?o»,  m  Str»w. 
berry  Alkjr,  begins  hi.  Sis^e  on  Tu««»y  ,  <h«  Ninth 
of  thii  Inflmt  No»embo,  ftxim  His  Houfe  »nd  wtll 
prexxad  with  hi?  Waggon  U>  iKe  Houitot  N»th«n. 
iel  Parker,  at  Trenton  Taryj  and  from  thence  Ihc 
CoMM  »n<(  Paffenger*  to  S»c*rri«io»er  ih<:  Kory  to 
tl«t  Hou/e  Vept  by  Georgt  Mofchc!.  where  Franos 
Holman  will  m«H  the  abcre  John  Butler.  »ml  e». 
ch*ng«  their  Pj(&ngc/s.  Ac.  >n<i  then  proceed  on 
Wednesday  lhro«gh  Prmcttown  arid  New  Brunf. 
wick,  ir.fh*  Hours  of  Ob*4<»h.Amc*,  In  Perth  Am« 
boy,  where  will  (je  »  '  good  8>w«,  with  ali  Coiwe- 
nw-,d*>  necefUrj,  kept  by  John  Thwnfon  »nd  Wii. 
luw  WaJier,  tor  th.  Reception  <rf  P«({en«er»,  See. 
who  wiii  y.-octmi  oft  ThuHday  Morning,  without 
PeUj,  for  Hew-Tfork,  »n4  tht»«  larrdat  Whitehall, 
inhere  the  laid  W.Her  and  Thompfon  will  give  At- 
fend»nce  at  the  Houie  o£  Ab.-ahant  jockeys,  un* 
til  Monday  MoroingfoUowing,  indtben  wilt  return 
(o  Penh'-Amboy,  wh»e  Frincis  Hotonn  on  T«<- 
dir  Morning  {ojlowjftg  wit!  aitaid,  andrstum  with 
h.i  w'at^on  to  Trenton  Kerry,  to  mw»  John  But- 
fer,  of  Pniiack  lph»,  «n4  there  exchange  their  P«f- 
fengerj,  &c  jfor  New-  York,  and  fhiUtte'phia. 

!t  i»  hop«i,  that  «  Ourfe'^Ugcsare  atteodw}  with 
a  fx»nf«Jer»Hie  Expenc*  for  the  belter  aofaoimo* 
dating  Paffengjsro,  that  they  wiii  m«nt  th*  Favtwn 
of  thePublfaSi;  andwhc-erer  v>i'tl  be  pleaitd  to  tt- 
vaur  them  wftlvtheir  CuSorn,  fliaii  be  kirnlly  uW, 
•nd  h**e  due  AMtmbnce  aivtra  tbrw  by  »(«f:rhum- 
We  Ser»«Kj,  JOHN  f-,UTf.ri<i  FRANCIS  HOL- 
MAN,  JOHN  THOMHSON,  tnd  WILLIAM  WAL- 
LER. 


,kL  u>  v'    "»*»«  thcm  »a 

~t  for  Trenton  F^fa 


Marti,  &3-J39  . 

\yHEREAS  the  Stage  Boats  im. 

- 


tend*  and  proceeds 


.  r,»a 


wat  which  pr'xwds  to  s&mnfotitsnd  (btv 
ecKly.    An4  as  this  UndertsKinff  wii!  be  toniLi 
expe-nfive  it  15  hoped  the  PnWifk  w.ngjre 
£ncxjurag<TOcnt   jiid  i»  fjh»li  be  performed 
8te  R*l«  by     JOHN  HUGHES,  and  Comp  ' 
The  l^nd  Csrriags  ia  1  1  .Miies  and  the  ii 
TueOay'a: 


STAGE    COACH    ADVERTISEMENTS    FROM    PHILADELPHIA    PAPERS 


WHEN   TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

was  an  entire  stranger  to  that  part  of  the  world,  as  here 
were  the  bounds  of  my  travels  eastward  .  .  . 

"The  prospects  on  each  side  are  beautiful,  and  you 
are  every  now  and  then  agreeably  surprised  by  a  sight 
of  the  Delaware.  We  are  now  on  Penne  Pack  Bridge; 
you  will  say  I  am  but  a  poor  traveler  when  I  tell  you 
it  is  the  best  bridge  I  ever  went  over,  although  it  has 
but  three  arches.  I  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  de- 
scribe the  beauties  of  this  place;  stop  and  look  at  it! 
on  the  left  side  you  see  the  waters  tumbling  down  the 
rocks  prattling  and  sparkling  as  it  goes;  at  the  bottom 
it  runs  rippling  over  stones  and  then  through  the  brdge 
where  it  soon  seems  to  forget  its  late  rapidity  and 
gently  murmurs  on.  The  creek  is  not  very  wide,  so 
that  the  trees  on  each  side  might  almost  shake  hands, 
and  what  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  whole,  are 
the  shrubs  and  bushes  all  along  in  bloom  the  banks. 
But  it  won't  do  to  stay  here  all  day  ... 

"I  have  forgotten  to  mention  before  that  we  passed 
the  place  upon  which  it  was  first  designed  by  man, 
but  not  by  the  author  of  nature,  to  have  built  Phila- 
delphia; it  is  a  fine,  high,  delightful  spot,  and  much 
pleasanter  than  where  it  now  stands;  after  some  time 
they  discovered  a  riff  of  rocks  near  the  harbour,  which 
was  the  natural  cause  of  their  quitting  that  sweet  spot; 
it  still  goes  by  the  name  of  'Old  Philadelphia'  and  there 
are  many  good  Plantations  upon  it,  the  distance  from 
the  present  city  being  about  twelve  miles  .  .  . 

"The  way  from  this  to  Poquestion  Bridge  is  pleas- 
antly diversified  by  hills  and  agreeable  looking  farms, 
and  at  this  season  is  beautiful  indeed;  the  sheep  feeding 
upon  the  sides  of  the  hills,  the  birds  hopping  from 
bough  to  bough,  the  cattle  grazing  in  the  meadows,  or 
lying  at  their  ease  under  the  shade  of  a  spreading  oak 
or  poplar,  serves  to  put  one  in  mind  of  that  age  so 
celebrated  by  the  Poets. 

"I  remember  nothing  remarkable  from  here  to 

253 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Shameney  [Neshaminy];  we  crossed  the  ferry  in  a  scow 
rowed  by  one  man.  I  wonder  they  don't  have  ropes 
as  they  have  at  the  Schuylkill,  but  I  suppose  they 
know  best. 

"We  now  left  the  York  road  and  turned  to  the  right, 
the  way  very  pleasant,  and  we  soon  entered  the  con- 
fines of  Rockey  Point,  our  first  Salutation  was  from  the 
sweet  birds  perched  upon  the  boughs  that  we  almost 
touched  from  the  sides  of  the  fence;  the  violets  were 
blown  in  quantities,  and  the  houses  began  to  open  to 
our  view;  then  such  a  prospect!  but  what  shall  I  say 
of  it  the  most  luxuriant  fancy  cannot  imagine  a  finer  one. 

"  It  was  after  twelve  that  we  alighted,  much  pleased 
with  our  ride,  and  a  most  excellent  appetite  for  dinner, 
which  Betsy  soon  obliged  us  with,  and  we  convinced  her 
in  a  much  more  expressive  manner  than  by  words  how 
good  it  was. 

,  "There  are  two  neat  prety  houses  here,  with  two 
handsome  rooms  upon  a  floor,  and  kitchens  behind 
them;  the  descent  is  gradual  to  the  river,  and  the  dis- 
tance a  quarter  of  a  mile,  the  avenue,  which  is  over  two 
hundred  feet  wide  is  planted  with  different  kinds  of 
cherry-trees.  The  plan  of  this  place  is  really  elegant. . . 
•  "You  likewise  see  Burlington.  Between  three  and 
four  o'clock  Mr.  Smith  went  don  to  look  for  a  boat,  as 
we  intended  to  lodge  in  Burlington.  ,  Luckily  at  that 
time  there  happened/to  pass  a  negro  fellow  going  there 
in  a  boat  very  proper  for  our  purpose,  and  he  was  good 
enough  to  wait  until  Mr.  Smith  came  up  for  us." 

In  August,  1773,  when  a  company  of  travelers  went 
from  Philadelphia  to  Bethlehem  and  other  places 
conditions  were  much  the  same  as  when  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Drinker  made  the  trip.  At  one  house  where  they 
were  entertained  it  was  noted  that  the  house  was  "neat 
and  handsome,"  and  that  the  people  were  obliging. 
A  few  days  later,  in  Allentown,  they  tried  to  stop  at 

254 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS  DIFFICULT 

the  King  of  Prussia,  but  it  was  impossible  to  remain 
in  the  house.  Fortunately  they  were  asked  to  take 
breakfast  at  a  private  house.  At  Levans  they  ate 
"such  a  Dinner  as  Travellers  must  often  put  up  with." 
The  historian  of  the  party  ungallantly  said  that  they 
might  have  enjoyed  the  meal  better  if  the  landlady 
had  come  in  without  her  eyes,  "  which  were  none  of  the 
prittiest  to  behold."  Again,  after  spending  the  night 
in  a  disagreeable  house,  the  statement  was  made, 
"the  fellow  who  keeps  it  is  an  impertinant  Scoundrel, 
having  the  impudence  to  charge  in  his  Bill  five  shillings 
for  his  attendance  (non-attendance  he  ought  to  have 
said,)  as  he  came  not  near  us.  On  the  contrary,  Wilkin- 
son's house  at  Reading  was  designated  a  "good  House, 
victuals  good  &  well  dressed,  wine  exceeding  good, 
and  the  people  obliging." 

The  party  set  out  from  Lancaster  for  Philadelphia 
in  good  spirits.  "But  alas!  a  sad  accident  had  like  to 
have  turned  our  Mirth  to  Mourning,  for  W.,  driving 
Careless,  and  being  hapily  engaged  with  the  Lady  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  riding  with,  and  not  mindful 
enough  of  his  charge,  drove  full  against  a  large  stump 
which  stood  in  the  way,  by  which  the  Chaise  was  over- 
turned and  the  Lady  thrown  out  to  a  considerable 
distance,  but  happily  received  no  hurt." 

That  night  the  supper  was  "pretty  tolerable," 
but  the  beds  were  indifferent,  "being  short  of  Sheets 
for  the  beds,  the  Woman  was  good  enough  to  let  W. 
have  a  table  cloth,  in  lieu  of  one." 

At  last  the  journey  was  ended,  and  the  party  was 
once  more  safe  in  Philadelphia,  "to  the  great  joy  of 
all  concerned,  after  having  escaped  many  perils  by 

255 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Land  and  by  Walter  such  as  already  recited  in  this 
true  and  faithful  Journal,  and  by  being  abroad  from 
Families  and  Kindred  so  long  a  time  as  twelve  days, 
and  further  this  Journal  sayeth  not,"  (The  total  dis- 
tance covered  was  about  210  miles). 

During  the  days  of  the  Revolution  many  Phila- 
delphians  sought  safety  by  flight  into  the  country. 
Mrs.  Eliza  Farmar  in  1783  wrote  to  a  cousin,  telling  of 
an  experience  on  the  road  one  day  when  she  tried  to  go 
to  the  country,  in  accordance  with  her  husband's  desires : 

"Sally  and  I  did  go  Near  40  Miles  up  the  country 
in  a  Waggon  loaded  with  some  of  our  goods  in  the 
midst  of  Deer  Just  before  the  battel  at  Trenton  I  cannot 
give  you  a  full  description  of  the  distress  and  Con- 
fution  that  apeared  in  every  face  for  they  gave  out 
that  the  Souldiers  was  to  have  their  days  plunder  that 
terified  people  to  that  degree  that  they  were  happy 
who  got  carriages  to  carry  their  goods  and  familys  off 
tho  some  knew  not  where  to  go  I  saw  one  family  of 
ten  persons  one  of  which  a  young  woman  and  her  child 
six  weeks  old  with  their  household  goods  in  two  opin 
waggons  and  tho  it  had  frose  hard  in  the  night  and  then 
snowd  hard  they  were  obliged  to  goe  through  it 
and  had  no  place  to  go  to  but  had  preswad[ed]  the 
Waggoner  to  take  them  to  his  house  tho  an  utter 
stranger  .  .  .  The  roads  were  so  bad  that  we  were  3 
days  on  our  journey  and  suffered  so  much  ..." 

After  the  war  was  over  Philadelphians  had  time  to 
think  of  a  trip  to  the  seashore.  And  what  a  trip  it 
was  in  those  days!  Elizabeth  Drinker  tells  of  one 
outing  to  the  Atlantic  Coast,  which  was  taken  in  July 
and  August,  1785. 

The  start  was  made  on  July  28.  "Left  home  after 
dinner,  H.  D.  and  E.  D.  in  ye  Chaise,  Nancy  and  Henry 
256 


WHEN   TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

in  another;  baited  at  Martins',  arrived  at  Josey  Smith's 
in  ye  evening  near  Burlington;  lodged  there,  and  staid 
till  after  dinner  next  day." 
The  record  of  July  £9  was: 

"Came  to  Richard  Wain's  before  dark;  should  have 
got  there  sooner,  but  were  delayed  sometime  on  ye  road, 
about  3  miles  from  R.  Ws.  by  the  oversetting  of  ye 
Chaise  Henry  drove,  occasioned  by  Nancy  and  him- 
self carelessly  talking,  instead  of  minding  a  stump  in 
ye  way." 

Next  day  Betsy  Wain  and  her  daughter  set  off 
with  the  party  for  "Shrewsberry."  Four  of  the  enlarged 
company  rode  in  Richard  Wain's  waggon,  while  two 
rode  in  the  Chaise. 

Shrewsberry  was  reached  in  three  days  from  Phila- 
delphia, and  the  members  of  the  party  went  on  to 
Black  Point  in  the  evening  and  at  once  sought  com- 
fort in  "ye  water." 

After  four  days  at  the  shore,  with  daily  experience 
of  "ye  bath,"  which  gradually  became  "rather  more 
easy,"  the  party  started  for  Long  Branch  on  ye  Sea- 
shore," some  in  the  waggon,  some  in  a  Boat.  From 
Long  Branch  two  of  the  men  went  to  New  York  by 
water,  returning  in  three  days. 

The  journey  back  to  Philadelphia  was  made  without 
incident,  by  way  of  Monmouth,  Richard  Wain's, 
and  Dunk's  Ferry,  which  is  not  far  from  the  present 
Eddington  on  the  Bristol  road. 

In  a  letter  to  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Jasper  Yeates,  Miss 

Kitty  Ewing  told  of  an  adventure  of  hers  in  a  Chair 

which  resulted  no  more  seriously  than  the  accident  of 

Henry  Drinker  on  the  way  to  the  sea  coast.     She  said : 

17  257 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"I  am  grown  a  great  traveller  .  .  .  Mr.  Johnston 
took  us  up  to  Carlile  &  whe  had  a  very  pleasant  ride  of 
it.  Mr.  anders  &  I  whare  in  one  Chair  Fanny  and  her 
dady  in  the  other,  our  Chare  only  overset  twiste  the 
first  place  that  Mr.  anders  overset  in  was  as  even  as 
the  flower  I  now  stand  on  Fanny  &  I  whaire  oblig'd  to 
walk  the  fore  miles  as  that  was  all  whe  had  to  go.  our 
Chare  was  broke  all  to  peaces  &  Mr.  Johnstons  hors 
whas  forst  to  carry  all  the  burden  that  whas  in  our 
Chaire  whe  took  pitty  on  the  poor  hors  &  would  walk." 

In  1791  the  welcome  announcement  was  made  that 
a  stage  would  run  during  the  summer  season  between 
Philadelphia  and  Bethlehem.  The  journey  from 
Philadelphia  would  begin  on  Thursday,  and  from  Beth- 
lehem the  start  would  be  on  Monday.  The  Philadelphia 
starting  point  was  from  the  house  of  George  Lester, 
at  the  sign  of  the  Spread  Eagle,  in  Third  Street. 
The  trip  in  either  direction  would  require  at  least 
twenty-four  hours;  the  start  was  to  be  at  five  o'clock 
and  the  destination  was  to  be  reached,  if  all  was  well, 
some  time  in  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day.  Each 
passenger  was  to  pay  fifteen  shillings,  and  was  to  be 
allowed  fourteen  pounds  of  baggage.  "  150  Ibs.  weight 
of  goods"  were  to  be  reckoned  for  one  passenger. 
Letters  would  cost  two  cents  each,  and  way  passengers 
were  to  be  charged  four  pence  per  mile. 

Such  a  stage  was  used  by  Benjamin  Henry  Latrobe 
in  parts  of  his  trip  from  Philadelphia  to  Richmond 
in  1798.  Of  this  trip  he  wrote: 

"The  weather  was  very  bad  again,  the  roads, 
however,  were  better  than  when  I  came  up.  Between 
Philadelphia  and  Chester  we  lamed  a  horse,  which 
accident  delayed  us  near  two  hours.  Got  very  late  to 

258 


WHEN   TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

the  Head  of  Elk,  and  through  the  most  horrid  of  roads 
from  thence  to  the  Susquehannah  at  half-past  twelve. 
It  was  very  calm,  but  a  strong  fresh  in  the  river  ren- 
dered crossing  tedious.  At  Barney's,  where  we  arrived 
at  half  past  one,  there  was  neither  fire  nor  supper 
provided.  After  much  grumbling  we  procured  both, 
and  got  to  bed  about  half  past  two.  At  four  we  were 
again  in  the  stage  .  .  .  and  arrived  in  Baltimore  at 
eleven  o'clock.  The  weather  cleared  up,  but  the  roads 
were  as  bad  as  ever." 

Soon  after  Washington  was  left  behind,  the  splinter 
bar  was  broken.  "Mr.  Rogers  and  I  therefore  resolved 
to  walk  on,"  Mr.  Latrobe  wrote.  "It  was  soon  dark 
and  began  to  rain,  and  we  trudged  up  to  our  knees 
in  mud  a  great  part  of  the  way  to  Alexandria.  The 
stage  overtook  us  just  as  we  entered  the  town." 

Three  days  later  Richmond  was  reached.  The 
expenses  of  the  trip  was  as  follows: 

To  Baltimore $8  00 

To  Georgetown 4  75 

To  Fredericksburg 3  50 

To  Richmond 3  50 

Meals  &  lodging  five  days 11  25 

31  00 

One  of  the  heavy  expenses  involved  in  almost  any 
trip  was  due  to  the  ferries,  which  were  convenient  but 
expensive.  At  Cooper's  Ferry  between  Philadelphia 
and  Camden  the  charges  in  1782  were  ninepence  for  a 
single  passenger,  two  shillings  and  sixpence  for  a  man 
and  horse,  and  one  shilling  and  sixpence  per  wheel 
for  an  empty  carriage.  When  an  appeal  was  made 
to  have  the  rate  lowered  the  proprietor  protested, 

259 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

urging  that  though  ferry  charges  had  been  advanced 
some  fifty  per  cent,  within  a  certain  length  of  time, 
his  bills  had  considerably  more  than  doubled.  For 
instance,  he  paid  a  ferry  man,  per  month,  £5,  while 
a  new  Horse  Boat  cost  £60,  a  new  Wherry  £40,  a 
Suit  of  Sails  for  the  Horse  Boat,  £18,  and  a  Boat 
Builder,  per  day,  fifteen  shillings. 

A  few  years  after  this  appeal  to  maintain  the  charges 
was  made,  a  curious  contrivance  appeared  in  the  Dela- 
ware River  that  was  a  prophecy  of  the  end  of  the  old- 
fashioned  method  of  ferry  boat  transportation  as  well 
as  the  forerunner  of  all  steamboats  and  steamships. 
This  was  the  first  crude  steamboat  built  by  John  Fitch. 

Early  in  1784,  the  sight  of  a  carriage  drawn  by  horses 
led  Fitch  to  think  of  the  possibility  of  a  carriage  pro- 
pelled by  steam.  He  had  never  seen  a  steam  engine. 
He  declared  that  he  did  not  know  that  such  a  thing 
was  in  existence.  A  winter's  thought  led  him  to  decide 
that  steam  carriages  were  impracticable,  because  of 
the  roughness  of  the  roads.  Then  he  began  to  think 
of  a  boat  propelled  by  steam.  The  first  model  was 
built  with  paddle  wheels.  The  machinery  was  made  of 
brass,  while  the  paddle  wheels  were  made  of  wood. 
Trial  was  made  of  this  first  paddle  boat  during  the 
spring  of  1785,  the  trip  beginning  at  the  High  street 
bridge  over  the  Schuylkill. 

Because  of  the  mechanical  difficulties  in  the  crude 
paddle  wheels,  it  was  resolved  to  abandon  them  in 
favor  of  oars  or  paddles  to  be  arranged  as  in  a  boat 
propelled  by  man  power,  but  moved  in  this  case  by 
steam.  A  boat  on  this  principle  was  built  in  1787, 
and  was  comparatively  successful. 

260 


MODEL    OF    JOHN    FITCH  S    STEAM    ENGINE 


PLAN    OF    JOHN    FITCH  S    STEAMBOAT 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

The  boat  was  repaired  and  altered,  and  a  new  trial 
was  made  in  the  autumn  of  1788.  "A  mile  was  meas- 
ured in  Front  street,  (or  Water-street),  Philadelphia, 
and  the  bounds  projected  at  right  angles,  as  exactly 
as  could  be  to  the  wharves,  where  a  flag  was  placed 
at  each  end,  and  also  a  stop  watch,"  William  Thornton, 
one  of  the  spectators,  wrote  in  1810.  "The  boat 
was  ordered  under  way  at  dead  water,  or  when  the 
tide  was  found  to  be  without  movement;  as  the  boat 
passed  one  flag  it  was  struck,  and  the  watches  instantly 
stopped.  Every  precaution  was  taken,  before  wit- 
nesses, the  time  was  shewn  to  all;  the  experiment  de- 
clared to  be  fairly  made,  and  the  boat  was  found  to  go 
at  a  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour,  or  one  mile  within  the 
eighth  of  an  hour  ...  It  afterward  went  eighty 
miles  in  a  day !  The  Governor  and  Council  of  Pennsyl- 
vania were  so  highly  gratified  with  our  labours,  that 
without  their  intention  being  previously  known  to  us, 
Governor  Mifflin,  attended  by  the  Council  in  pro- 
cession, presented  to  the  company,  and  placed  in  the 
boat,  a  superb  silk  flag." 

The  success  of  the  trial  led  the  inventor  to  invite 
a  company  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  to  take  a  trip  on 
the  Perseverance  from  Philadelphia  to  Burlington  and 
return.  They  accepted,  and  on  October  12,  1788, 
the  journey  was  made,  "against  the  current  of  the 
Delaware,  twenty  miles,  in  three  hours  and  ten  minutes, 
which  gave  a  speed  of  six  miles  and  one  third  an  hour, 
having  thirty  passengers  on  board  at  the  time,"  Charles 
Whittlesey  wrote  in  his  life  of  John  Fitch.  "  As  the  boat 
approached  the  city  on  the  return,  the  inventor,  too 
much  elated  by  his  triumphant  success,  directed  the 

261 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

fire  to  be  crowded,  and  the  speed  increased.  Within 
a  couple  of  miles  of  the  wharf,  a  joint  in  the  boiler  gave 
way,  and  the  steam  issuing  out,  scalded  one  of  the  fire- 
men severely,  as  might  be  expected,  the  passengers  were 
in  consternation,  and  some  even  insisted  upon  being  put 
on  shore,  when  they  struggled  into  town  on  foot." 

In  1790  an  improved  model,  with  paddles  in  the 
stern,  was  so  successful  that  it  became  a  regular  pas- 
senger and  freight  boat  on  the  Delaware,  running  a 
total  of  between  two  and  three  thousand  miles  at  a 
speed  of  from  seven  to  eight  miles  an  hour,  whereas 
Fulton's  Clermonty  seventeen  years  later,  could  ac- 
complish little  more  than  six  miles  an  hour. 

Soon  there  appeared  in  the  Philadelphia  papers  the 
following  announcement: 

"THE  STEAMBOAT  is  now  ready  to  take  passengers, 
and  is  intended  to  set  off  from  Arch  street  Ferry  in 
Philadelphia,  every  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday 
from  Burlington,  Bristol,  Bordentown  &  Trenton,  to 
return  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays  &  Saturdays.  Price 
for  Passengers  2/6  to  Burlington  and  Bristol,  3/9  to 
Bordentown,  5s.  to  Trenton." 

Plans  were  immediately  made  to  build  a  larger 
boat,  so  that  two  boats  might  be  sent  to  Virginia,  in 
time  to  take  advantage  of  the  state  grant  of  exclusive 
rights  to  transportation  on  the  Ohio  River  and  its 
tributaries.  Pennsylvania  had  already  granted  without 
condition  a  similar  right  for  waters  under  her  control. 
The  United  States  patent,  signed  by  Washington, 
was  not  granted  until  August  26, 1791. 

Vexatious  delays  hindered  the  work  on  the  new 
boat.  Enemies  attacked  Fitch,  friends  forsook  him, 

262 


WHEN   TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

rivals  interfered  with  him,  dire  poverty  added  to  his 
difficulties.  It  became  impossible  for  him  to  complete 
the  vessel  in  season  to  comply  with  the  Virginia  stat- 
utes. Finally  the  inventor  abandoned  the  enterprise. 
He  still  believed  in  it,  but  he  was  too  much  discouraged 
to  go  on.  He  insisted,  however: 

"The  day  will  come  when  some  more  powerful  man 
will  get  fame  and  riches  from  my  invention,  but  no- 
body will  believe  that  poor  John  Fitch  can  do  anything 
worthy  of  attention." 

How  far  John  Fitch  was  ahead  of  Robert  Fulton, 
who  is  popularly  thought  of  as  the  inventor  of  the  steam- 
boat, is  shown  by  an  enthusiastic  letter  which  Fulton 
sent  to  Thomas  Mifflin,  governor  of  Pennsylvania, 
in  March,  1796,  ten  years  after  Fitch  wrote  his  account 
of  the  steamboat.  In  this  letter  Fulton  stated  his 
belief  that  "canals  are  the  only  effectual  means  of 
producing  land  communications."  It  was  his  hope 
that  each  state  would  supervise  its  own  canals  in  such  a 
manner  "that  all  future  canals  may  be  constructed 
on  much  a  scale  and  principle,  in  order  that  when  the 
various  branches  meet  the  boats  of  one  may  navigate 
the  other  wherever  canals  extend."  He  was  convinced 
that  lock  canals  could  never  be  satisfactory,  but  urged 
the  use  of  his  own  invention  wherever  the  levels  of  a 
canal  changed,  a  double  inclined  plane  on  which  the 
boats,  upon  wheeled  carriages,  "were  to  be  dragged 
out  of  the  upper  and  lower  canals  by  means  of  ropes 
working  on  the  axles  of  water-wheels." 

He  dreamed  of  a  canal  from  Philadelphia  to  Fort 
Pitt,  of  which  the  first  portion,  possibly  to  Lancaster, 
was  to  be  built  at  a  cost  of  £150,000.  The  tolls  for  the 

263 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

use  of  the  completed  section  should  be  used  to  extend 
the  canal,  he  said,  "the  tolls  on  such  extensions  being 
appropriated  in  like  manner  to  further  extensions, 
and  so  on, — the  toll  to  be  continually  devoted  to 
finishing  more  canals,  till  canals  would  pervade  the 
whole  country." 

When  at  length  the  canal  to  Fort  Pitt  should  be 
completed,  he  calculated  that  "on  such  a  canal  a  man, 
boy,  and  horse,  would  convey  40  tons  20  miles  per  day 
and  arrive  in  Philadelphia  in  eighteen  days,  at  ten  shill- 
ings per  day  amounting  to  180  shillings  for  forty  tons, 
or  4s. 6d.  per  ton,  the  expense  of  boating,  independent 
of  tolls." 

On  September  12,  1796,  Fulton  sent  to  President 
Washington,  at  Philadelphia,  a  presentation  copy  of 
his  enthusiastically  written  "Treatise  on  the  Improve- 
ment of  Canal  Navigation."  On  a  blank  page  of  the 
volume  he  called  Washington's  attention  to  his  belief 
that  as  "the  discovery  of  the  Mariner's  compass  Gave 
Commerce  to  the  World,"  as  "the  Invention  of  printing 
is  dissipating  darkness  and  giving  a  Polish  to  the  Mass 
of  Men,"  so  "the  Introduction  of  the  Creative  System 
of  Canals"  is  "as  certain  in  their  Effects:  will  Give 
an  Agricultural  Polish  To  every  Acre  of  America." 

Before  he  completed  his  prophecy,  he  declared  that 
he  "would  propose  to  make  the  horsepath  of  the  Lead- 
ing Canals  Sufficiently  wide  for  a  Road,  which  would 
Indeed  be  of  Little  use  but  for  horsemen  or  Light 
Carriages:  and  this  union  of  the  Canal  and  Road  would 
produce  numerous  Advantages.  First  the  Canal 
would  Convey  materials  to  mend  the  Road  at  Little 
expense;  second,  In  the  Winter  Season  part  might  be 

264 


Double  Inclined  Flam?. 


ROBERT  FULTON  S    DOUBLE    INCLINED    PLANE    FOR    CANALS 


TO      THE 


DELAWARE 

PILOTS. 

T 


H  E  Regard  we  have  for  your  Characters,  and  our  Dcfire  to  promote  your 
future  Peace  and  Safety,  are  the  Occafion  of  this  Third  Addrcfs  to  you 

IN  our  fecond  LeUer  we  acquainted  you,  that  the  Tea  Ship  WAI  a 
Decker  ;  We  are  now  informed  by  good  Authority,  fhe  is  not  a  Three  IK.  k< 
an  old  black  Shtp,  vMout  a  Head,  or  any  Qmatat-nls. 

THE  Captain  is  a  jkort  f&t  Fellow,  and  a  little  oltftinatt  withal— -So  much  the  worfc 
for  him. — For,  fo  fure  as  he  ndei  ru/fy,  We  Jhall  h.  av<-  him  Keel  out,  and  fee  that' 
his  Bottom  be  well  fired,  CcnibbYl  and  paid-.-Hw  Upper- Works  too.  will  have.-  .«n 
Overhawling- — and  as  it  is  faid,  he  has  a  good  deal  of  (>utr-A  MW/i  about  him,  \V<- 
will  take  particular  Care  that  fuch  Part  of  him  uiulergoes  a  thorough  Kunmu^iir^ 

WE   have   a  flill  worfe  Account  of  kn  Ch^.r  ,---  for 
bought  by  him  on  Purpofe,  to  make  a  Penny  of  us  .   and  t 
were  well  advifed.of  the  Rifque  they  would  nm,  m  thus  d 
us. 

Captain  Ayres  was  here  in  the  Time  ol  tlu-  Siarnp  -Ac),  an 
our  People  better,  than  to  have  expected  we  would  he  Ion 
TEA  to  be  funnel'd  down  our  Throats,  v> -ith  the  I'jrl 


r,   but 


.it    kt    .in.!  t  jp'  ,i  i  Ay< 
nng  to  inluli    and  dbu!.- 


ought  tu  have  known 
an  *<,  to  fuffer  his  *ottt»> 
/>«'*  mixed  with  it. 


WE  know  him  well,  and  have  calculated  h>  a  Gill  and  a  Feather,  how  much  it 
will  require  to  fit  him  for  an  American  £xhit>tttur  And  we  hope  not  one  of  your 
Body  will  behave  fo  ill.  as  to  oblige  us  to  <)Jp  him  n,  the  Cart  alon^  Side  of  the 
Captain. 

WE  muft  repeat,  that  the  S  H  I  P    P  O  I.  L  Y  i<  m  of  about  Two 

Hundred  and  Fifty  Tons  burthen,  uUfiout  «  thad    and  -.'.- -ind.  that 

M  Y  R  E  S    U  a  ^  rf«"ix-W~- »£  T*T.   CARE    to 

Y  o  u  R    OLD     F  R  :  t  s  u  :> , 
THE  COMMITTEE  JOR  TARRING   AND  FEATHERING. 


T*HE  TEA  «?HIP  K      °nay      «"»«ng.  December  2?,  j773. 

TEA-SH1P  bemg  arr.ved,  every  Inhabitant,  who  withes 
*     to  preferve  the  Liberty  of  America,  u  defired  to  meet  at  the 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

frozen  and  another  open.  And  as  the  Inns  would  be  on 
the  banks  of  the  Canals,  the  Inhabitants  would  learn 
of  the  various  travelers,  the  State  of  the  Stages  of 
Canal;  hence  the  traveler  might  take  either  Canal  or 
Road,  whichever  the  weather  and  his  time  Rendered 
most  Convenient:  And  thus  he  would  be  accommoda- 
ted with  an  easy  passage  through  the  Country" — at 
the  rate  of  six  miles  an  hour! 

The  day  came,  however,  when  Robert  Fulton 
ceased  to  talk  of  canals  because  his  attention  was  taken 
up  by  the  steamboat.  He  succeeded  where  John  Fitch 
had  failed.  In  1807  the  Clermont  was  making  regular 
trips  on  the  Hudson,  and  within  five  years  there 
appeared  the  first  steam  ferry  boat,  of  which  an 
impressionable  Philadelphian  wrote  in  1812 : 

"The  once  formidable  Hudson  has  ceased  to  present 
a  barrier  between  the  two  great  cities  of  the  U.  S.  .  .  . 
it  can  now  be  passed  over  with  as  much  ease  as  Frank- 
ford  Creek  or  the  High  Bridge  at  Kensington.  The 
Steam  Ferry  boat,  which  moves  with  all  the  Majesty 
of  a  floating  Island  is  certainly  the  greatest  masterpiece 
of  human  ingenuity  that  I  have  ever  witnessed.  You 
drive  from  a  floating  wharf  which  is  always  exactly  of 
the  height,  on  to  its  noble  deck,  and  by  magic,  as  it 
were,  are  transported  to  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
The  machinery  is  all  enclosed,  and  there  is  nothing  to 
alarm  the  most  timid  horse.  The  helmsman  is  sta- 
tioned 8  or  10  feet  above  the  common  deck,  on  the 
octagon  case  that  incloses  the  works;  there  is  a  frame 
of  floating  timbers  on  either  side  of  the  dock,  so  that 
the  boat  cannot  miss  coming  to  the  exact  spot  to  land, 
and  even  the  jar  occasioned  by  so  large  a  body  striking 
full  against  the  wharf,  is  completely  prevented  by  a 
frame  of  timbers'  that  slide  out  from  the  wharf  10  or  12 

265   ' 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

feet  to  receive  the  first  shock,  but  present  but  little 
resistance,  at  first,  as  the  weights  are  casks  of  water 
under  the  surface  of  the  river,  but  being  gradually 
hoisted  out  by  the  force  which  the  boat  applies  to  the 
sliding  frame,  become  much  heavier  when  they  get  into 
the  air.  Grappling  irons  immediately  seize  the  boat 
and  hold  her  close  to  the  wharf,  so  that  you  may  in- 
stantly drive  ashore,  and  as  there  are  two  rudders  she 
is  immediately  ready  to  perform  her  voyage  back  again 
without  turning  .  .  .  this  wonder  .  .  .  certainly 
presents  a  new  epoch  in  the  art  of  transportation,  which 
will  not  be  excelled  until  the  art  of  flying  shall  have 
been  brought  to  perfection  .  .  .  ' 

The  writer  was  right.  There  has  been  little  real 
improvement  in  the  basic  principles  of  either  the  ferry 
boat  itself  or  the  method  of  effecting  a  landing  since 
the  first  steam  ferry  was  put  in  operation. 

The  day  came  when  the  steamboat  was  for  many 
people  a  recognized  feature  of  the  trip  from  Philadelphia 
to  New  York.  There  were  those  who  preferred  to  con- 
tinue to  make;  use  of  the  stage  coach  for  the  entire 
distance,  but  there  were  others  to  whom  such  advertise- 
ments as  the  following  made  insistent  appeal: 

NEW  YORK  STEAMBOATS 
Only  twenty-five  miles  by  land 
Passage  through,  Four  Dollars  and  Fifty  Cents 
The  Philadelphia  and  Rariton  Steam  Boats,  con- 
nected by  Stages,  form  a  line  to  New  York.     Passengers 
leave  the  foot  of  Market  Street  in  Philadelphia,  every 
Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday  morning  at  7  o'clock, 
sleep  at  Brunswick,  and  arrive  at  New  York  the  next 
morning  at  12  o'clock.     The  mode  of  conveyance  to  be 
preferred  to  any  other,  as  the  distance  by  land  by  the 
Bristol  and  Elizabeth  town  boats  is  fifty-six  miles,  by 
the  common  stage  eighty-six  miles,  but  by  this  route 
only  twenty-five  miles. 

266 


WHEN   TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

James,  ( Morrell,  in  his  trip  from  Philadelphia  to 
Saratoga  Springs,  taken  in  1813,  made  use  of  the  alter- 
native land  and  water  route  between  Philadelphia  and 
New  York  which  the  advertisement  mentioned.  His 
own  account  of  the  journey  has  been  preserved: 

"Left  Philadelphia  on  Wednesday  morning,  Au- 
gust llth,  1813,  at  7  o'clock,  on  board  the  Steam  Boat 
' 'Eagle,9  Captain  Rodgers.  The  company  very  nu- 
merous, about  one  hundred  and  thirty,  some  for  different 
parts  situated  upon  the  River  Delaware  and  others  for 
the  Eastern  States.  After  having  stopped  at  several 
places  to  land  passengers,  we  unfortunately,  and  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  all  on  board,  found  that  one  of 
the  wheels  composing  a  part  of  the  Steam  Engine  was 
broken.  This  unfortunate  circumstance,  unfortunate, 
I  must  call  it,  as  we  were  all  anxious  to  beat  the  'Phoe- 
nix* Steam  Boat  which  had  started  about  twenty 
minutes  before  us,  and  on  which  we  were  gaining  very 
fast,  took  place  nearly  abreast  of  what  is  called  the  old 
Bake  House,  about  13  miles  from  Philadelphia.  I 
could  not  but  remark  the  sorrowful  aspect  and  dread- 
ful long  faces  caused  by  the  affair.  Poor  creatures,  the 
various  opinions  of  our  future  fate  was  really  amusing, 
having  among  us  not  a  few  old  maids,  I  was  much  di- 
verted with  their  anxiety  .  .  .  however,  fortune 
favored  us,  and  after  an  hour  and  a  half  detention,  they 
succeeded  in  repairing  the  work  so  as  to  proceed  and 
we  finally  arrived  at  Bordentown,  about  ^  past  2 
o'clock.  Here  we  were  crammed  ten  into  one  Stage 
with  all  our  baggage. 

"Before  I  proceeded  further  upon  my  journey,  I 
shall  beg  leave  to  make  mention  of  the  superior  style 
in  which  the  accommodations  of  the  'Eagle'  Steam 
Boat  is  fitted  up.  The  cabins  both  for  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen  surpass  anything  of  the  kind  I  have  met 
with  in  all  my  travels  heretofore.  We  dined  on  board, 

267 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

the  table  was  elegantly  laid  out,  and  the  best  kind, 
equal  to  any  table  in  the  best  Hotels   .    .   . 

"The  road  from  Trenton  to  Gulic's  Mill  and  from 
thence  to  within  a  mile  or  two  of  Brunswick  was  such 
as  to  disgrace  any  state  or  country,  and  more  partic- 
ularly as  it  is  termed  a  turnpike  and  obliged  to  pay 
toll.  God  preserve  me  from  such  a  mode  of  accumu- 
lating wealth!' 

The  night  was  spent  at  Brunswick.  In  the  morning 
the  journey  was  continued: 

"Was  called  at  5  o'clock  to  prepare  for  the  Steam 
Boat  to  New  York,  called  the  'Raritan';  left  the  town 
at  1/2  past  5  o'clock  on  a  Stage  for  the  boat  which  lay 
about  a  mile  down  the  River.  At  %  past  7  o'clock, 
the  company  on  board,  we  departed  for  New  York  a 
distance  of  45  miles,  and  the  company  on  board  was 
about  fifty. 

"The  River  Raritan  from  New  Brunswick  to  New 
York  is  very  serpentine,  affording  some  very  fine 
prospects,  ..." 

From  New  York  City  the  journey  up  the  Hudson 
was  made  on  the  "Paragon"  on  which  the  fare  was 
seven  dollars.  During  the  trip  Mr.  Morrell  observed 
with  wonder  the  process  of  landing  and  receiving  pas- 
sengers at  all  hours  of  the  night: 

"They  attached  a  line  to  a  small  boat  about  midship 
and  when  cast  off  from  the  Steam  Boat,  she  would 
immediately  shear  off,  and  the  line  is  payed  out  to  any 
length  they  wish,  a  man  being  at  the  helm  of  the  boat 
she  would  be  conducted  to  any  part  they  wished  and 
as  soon  as  the  passengers  were  landed  and  the  others 
taken  on  board,  she  would  be  hauled  up  to  the  Steam 
Boat  by  steam,  and  all  this  done  without  stopping  the 
wheels  of  the  Steam  Boat." 
268 


WHEN  TRAVEL   WAS   DIFFICULT 

The  remainder  of  thVtrip  was  made  by  stage.  Two 
days  were  spent  at  Ballston  and  Saratoga.  The  first 
stage  of  the  return  journey  from  New  York  to  Philadel- 
phia was  made  by  stage,  "  a  ride  of  90  miles  in  13  hours." 
The  entire  trip  required  twelve  days. 

Frankly,  how  much  better  off  are  we  who  can  take 
the  journey  to  New  York  in  two  hours,  and  to  Saratoga 
Springs  between  breakfast  and  dinner? 


XIII 
THE  CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

THE  DEATH  OF  TEA  —  HOMEMADE  MUSKETS  —  "PROCLAIM  LIBERTY"  — 
WHAT  IT  MEANT  TO  HAVE  AN  INVADER  IN  THE  CITY  —  HE  WOULD 
NOT  HAVE  PENN'S  COLONY  AS  A  FREE  GIFT  —  INFLATED  CURRENCY 
AND  HIGH  PRICES  —  To  MAKE  LACE  OUT  OF  CAMBRIC  —  THE  BEGIN- 
NING OF  THE  DAYBREAK  —  WHY  FRANKLIN  WAS  NEEDED  TO  "Hoop 
THE  BARREL" 


years  from  1765  to  1783  were  the  most 
heroic  years  of  Philadelphia's  early  history. 
Many  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  generation 
then  on  the  scene  had  been  prepared  by  their  ancestors' 
eighty  years  of  struggle  with  the  sternest  sort  of  pioneer 
conditions  to  face  the  tormenting  difficulties  that  con- 
fronted them.  Already  the  city  had  the  traditions  of 
the  stormy  Atlantic  voyage,  of  carving  out  a  home  in 
the  wilderness,  of  enduring  cold  and  hunger,  of  fashion- 
ing an  enduring  government  out  of  nothing,  of  ex- 
tending a  helping  hand  to  tfthers.  Boys  and  girls 
who  had  listened  to  parents  and  grandparents  as  they 
told  of  the  deeds  that  ennobled  the  past  were  made 
ready  for  the  time  when  they,  too,  would  be  called 
upon  to  do,  to  dare,  and  to  bear  for  their  country  far 
more  than  even  the  most  devoted  of  them  could  have 
thought  beforehand  would  be  either  demanded  or 
possible. 

There  were  of  course  those  who  were  ready  to  yield 

without  a  struggle  to  the  requirements  of  their  oppress- 

ors; there  are  always  people  of  that  stamp.     There 

were  also  those  whose  profound  religious  conviction 

270 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

was  that  resistance  to  oppression  is  sin;  they  were 
representatives  of  that  staunch,  conservative  body 
of  Friends  who  had  helped  to  make  Philadelphia  what 
it  was  and  who  are  to-day  among  the  city's  most  de- 
voted people.  But  fortunately  there  were  also  heroic 
men  like  Franklin  and  Morris  and  Matlack,  Ritten- 
house,  Muhlenberg,  and  Rush,  as  well  as  loyal  women 
like  Deborah  Franklin  and  Mrs.  Morris,  who  would 
not  yield  an  inch  in  their  determination  to  stand  back 
of  the  colonies,  and  later  the  states,  in  the  long  struggle 
for  freedom. v 

There  were  weeks  and  months  and  years  of  utter 
darkness  when  reason  told  them  that  their  struggle 
was  hopeless.  But  their  hearts  told  them  to  press  on 
with  grim  determination  even  when  prospects  were 
most  gloomy  and  when  a  disastrous  end  seemed  certain. 
They  were  true  to  the  best  that  was  in  them,  these 
hundreds  of  men  and  women  who  stood  by  the  country 
even  when  General  Washington  himself  felt  compelled 
to  say,  "I  think  the  game  is  pretty  nearly  up."  The 
women  bade  their  sons  and  their  husbands  godspeed 
as  they  went  to  join  the  army,  they  economized  in 
wonderful  ways  that  there  might  be  supplies  for  the 
absent,  they  were  proud  to  wear  homespun  and  home- 
dyed  clothing  so  as  to  help  relieve  the  destitution 
of  the  army.  The  men  toiled  and  planned  and  suffered, 
persisting  in  a  course  that  seemed  to  promise  nothing 
but  disaster,  always  hoping  against  hope  that  gloom 
would  yield  to  glorious  daybreak. 

And  they  had  their  reward.  They  won  the  freedom 
that  has  been  treasured  by  those  who  have  followed 
after,  and  they  have  transmitted  to  a  later  generation 

271 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

the  spirit  of  self-sacrificing  determination  that  nothing 
shall  stand  in  the  way  of  freedom  for  America  and  the 
world. 

The  Pennsylvania  Gazette  of  October  31,  1765, 
printed,  between  heavy  black  rules,  an  announcement 
that  indicated  the  depth  of  feeling  over  the  Stamp  Act; 
one  of  the  most  trying  of  the  long  series  of  oppressive 
measures  that  stirred  the  colonies  to  anger  against 
Great  Britain: 

"We  are  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  acquaint  our  Readers, 
that  as  the  most  UNCONSTITUTIONAL  ACT  that  ever 
these  Colonies  could  have  imagined,  to  wit,  the  Stamp 
Act,  is  feared  to  be  obligatory  upon  us,  after  the  First  of 
November  ensuing  (the  FATAL  TO-MORROW)  the  Pub- 
lishers of  this  Paper,  unable  to  bear  the  burthen,  have 
thought  it  expedient  to  stop  a  While,  in  order  to  delib- 
erate, whether  any  methods  can  be  found  to  elude  the 
Chains  forged  for  them,  and  escape  the  insupportable 
Slavery,  which,  it  is  hoped,  from  the  just  Represen- 
tations now  made  against  the  Act,  may  be  effected. 
— Mean  while,  we  most  earnestly  request  every  Indi- 
vidual of  our  Subscribers,  many  of  whom  have  been 
long  behind  hand,  that  they  would  immediately  dis- 
charge their  respective  Arrears,  that  we  may  be  able 
not  only  to  support  ourselves  during  the  Interval,  but 
be  better  prepared  to  proceed  again  with  the  Paper, 
whenever  an  opening  appears  for  that  Purpose,  which 
we  hope  will  be  soon." 

No  one  was  so  active  as  was  Benjamin  Franklin  in 
efforts  to  bring  about  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act,  yet 
he  was  compelled  to  know  that  he  was  misunderstood 
and  suspected  by  the  patriots  of  his  home  city  when 
he  was  doing  his  best  for  them.  While  he  was  in 
England  working  day  and  night  in  the  interest  of  his 
272 


PENNSYLVANIA  JOURNAL; 

A    N   r> 

WEEKLY    ADVERTISER. 


K  X  P  I  R  1  N  0:      In    Hope*  oi    «    Rciunvd.on   to  L«>-£   a#- 


a 


t,  M^m^^^m*^^^^M^'^^^^'r^S 

)«.TU.y\kih.»t»<<«i  U-tr.umllti   .-lu.lt 


<r,.0ut,,    fk«ST4«» 
i        _  _\cr.  isf««'d  lulxrob 
i.^t.MV   u(x,..  i«   aftc 

,W/-,r/£,  •.V^....*.r.-n 

J»,,,g.  •d-/-.^7,  w 
|\il.hH,.-rof  this  l'»F<-f  «"'•"«  u>' 

IN   MOURNING    BECAUSE    OF   THE    STAMP    ACT 


r«fp6&fffl  ,Vr 

rval,'  but 


SARAH    FRANKLIN    BACHE 


THE    LIBERTY    BELL 

'  Proclaim  Liberty  throughout  the  land,  unto  all  the  inhabitants  thereof. 
Leviticus  xxv,  10) 


THE   CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

friends  at  home,  there  were  hot  heads  in  Philadelphia 
who  accused  him  of  being  too  friendly  with  England, 
and  who  even  declared  at  times  that  they  would  visit 
their  wrath  on  his  wife.  A  letter  written  to  him  by 
Mrs.  Franklin  on  September  22,  1765,  told  of  their 
threatenings: 

"Something  has  been  said  relative  to  raising  a  mob 
in  this  place.  I  was  for  nine  days  kept  in  a  continual 
hurry  by  people  to  remove,  and  Sally  was  persuaded  to 
go  to  Burlington  for  safety;  but  on  Monday  last  we 
had  very  great  rejoicings  on  account  of  the  change  of 
the  ministry,  and  a  preparation  for  bonfires  at  night, 
and  several  houses  threatened  to  be  pulled  down. 
Cousin  Davenport  came  and  told  me  that  more  than 
twenty  people  had  told  him  it  was  his  duty  to  be  with 
me.  I  said  I  was  pleased  to  receive  civility  from 
anybody,  so  he  staid  with  me  some  time;  towards 
night  I  said  he  should  fetch  a  gun  or  two,  as  we  had 
none.  I  sent  to  ask  my  brother  to  come  and  bring  his 
gun  also  ...  I  said  when  I  was  advised  to  remove, 
that  I  was  very  sure  you  had  done  nothing  to  hurt 
anybody,  nor  had  I  given  offense  to  any  person  at  all, 
nor  would  I  be  made  uneasy  by  anybody,  nor  would  I 
stir  or  show  the  least  uneasiness;  but  if  anyone  came 
to  disturb  me  I  would  show  a  proper  resentment. 

" .  .  .  It  is  Mr.  Saml.  Smith  that  is  setting  the 
people  mad  by  telling  them  that  it  was  you  that  had 
planned  the  Stamp  Act,  and  that  you  are  endeavouring 
to  get  the  Test  Act  brought  over  here  ..." 

A  few  weeks  later  the  loyal  wife  sent  to  Franklin 
the  message,  "Numbers  of  your  good  friends  desire 
their  love  to  you,  almost  all  Philadelphia,  for  it  is  but 
a  very  few  that  don't  like  you." 

All  Philadelphia  was  aroused.  "The  subject  now 
is  the  Stamp  Act,"  Sarah  Franklin,  later  Mrs.  Bache, 

273 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

wrote  .  .  .  "The  Dutch  talk  of  the  stampt  ack, 
the  negroes  of  the  tamp;  in  short,  everybody  has 
something  to  say." 

During  the  height  of  the  excitement  Robert  Morris 
was  one  of  a  committee  appointed  to  learn  from  the 
shopkeeper  who  had  been  asked  to  sell  the  stamped 
paper  whether  he  intended  to  offer  it  to  the  citizens. 
After  some  pressure  the  man  replied  that  he  would 
not  do  the  work  until  the  people  asked  him  to  do  so. 

The  agitation  and  the  excitement  lasted  many 
months.  On  October  31,  1765,  Jacob  Hiltzheimer 
said  in  his  diary,  "My  newspaper  was  delivered  this 
morning,  being  the  last  before  the  Stamp  Act  goes  into 
force." 

And  it  was  May  20,  1766,  before  he  was  able  to 
record  the  repeal,  "To-night  the  citizens  in  general 
illuminated  their  houses  for  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp 
Act." 

Opposition  to  the  Stamp  Act  brought  about  unity 
of  effort  and  purpose  between  colonies^ which  had  long 
been  pulling  in  different  directions.  In  1765,  New 
York  joined  Philadelphia  in  the  Non-Inportation 
agreement,  which  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  acts  of 
protest  against  the  attitude  of  the  mother  country's 
measures  of  oppression.  For  five  years  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania  alike  were  faithful  to  the  pledge, 
but  in  July,  1770,  there  was  resentment  among  the 
merchants  of  Philadelphia  because  New  York  importers 
had  written  urging  Philadelphia  to  join  them  in  ordering 
goods  from  London.  At  a  town  meeting  a  letter  was 
ordered  sent  to  the  New  York  merchants,  expressing 
sorrow  that  they  had  taken  a  measure  that  could  not 

274 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

but  be  prejudicial  to  their  own  liberties  as  well  as  the 
liberties  of  all  America.    Warning  was  given: 

"To  posterity  and  to  your  country  you  must  an- 
swer for  the  step  you  have  now  taken.  .  .  .  You 
have  certainly  wrecked  that  union  of  the  colonies  on 
which  their  safety  depends,  and  will  thereby  strengthen 
the  hands  of  our  enemies,  and  encourage  them  to 
prosecute  their  designs  against  our  common  liberty. 
We  cannot  forbear  telling  you,  that  however  you  may 
colour  your  proceedings,  we  think  you  have,  in  the 
day  of  trial,  deserted  the  cause  of  liberty  and  your 
country." 

A  third  outstanding  series  of  events  of  the  days 
preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  had  to  do 
with  the  tea  ships  whose  cargoes  were  looked  upon 
as  messengers  of  oppression,  because  of  the  tax.  In- 
dignation was  bitter,  and  plans  were  laid  to  see  that  no 
tea  was  unloaded  on  the  docks,  and  that,  if  possible, 
no  tea  ship  should  be  brought  by  the  pilots  within  the 
Capes  or  up  the  Delaware.  When,  in  December,  1773, 
one  ship  did  manage  to  reach  Chester,  a  meeting  was 
held  at  the  State  House,  and  it  was  agreed  that  the 
vessel  should  be  required  to  return  forthwith  to  England. 
And  on  March  1,  1775,  Christopher  Marshall  referred 
to  another  incident  in  the  campaign: 

"Early  this  morning  departed  these  parts,  univer- 
sally lamented  by  the  friends  of  slavery,  but  to  the  joy 
and  satisfaction  of  the  lover  of  freedom,  that  baneful 
and  detested  weed,  East  India  TEA,  whose  return  is 
never  desired  or  wished  for  by  the  true  sons  of  Amer- 
ican liberty." 

The  tea  tempest  was  still  going  on  when  the  First 

Continental  Congress  met  in  Carpenter's  Hall  in  Sep- 

275 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

tember,  1774.  On  the  second  day  of  the  session  Jacob 
Duche*,  assistant  rector  of  Christ  Church  and  St. 
Peter's,  then  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  ardent 
of  the  patriots,  entered  the  hall  by  invitation  and  read 
the  morning  service  of  the  Church  of  England,  while 
his  clerk  read  the  responses.  Later  he  made  an  ex- 
temporary prayer,  of  which  John  Adams  wrote  to  his 
wife,  "Dr.  Cooper  himself  never  prayed  with*  such 
fervor,  such  ardor,  such  earnestness,  and  pathos,  and 
in  a  language  so  elegant  and  sublime." 

This  was  the  first  of  Duche*'s  many  outstanding 
services  in  the  cause  of  liberty  which  led  to  his  selection 
as  chaplain  by  the  congress  of  1776.  In  this  position 
he  served  with  acceptance  until  October,  when  he 
resigned,  giving  the  excuse  of  ill  health,  though  some  of 
his  friends  felt  that  the  real  reason  was  the  growing 
influence  of  Lord  Howe.  At  any  rate,  when  the  British 
troops  entered  Philadelphia  in  1777,  he  prayed  for  the 
king  in  Christ  Church,  in  spite  of  the  resolution  of  the 
vestry,  taken  when  he  himself  was  present,  that  such 
prayers  should  be  omitted.  Unfortunately  his  faint- 
heartedness went  still  further.  He  wrote  a  letter  to 
Washington,  urging  him  to  renew  his  allegiance  to 
England.  Washington  showed  his  fine  spirit  when  he 
wrote  concerning  the  message  to  Francis  Hopkinson, 
whose  sister  was  Mrs.  Duche",  "I  am  still  willing  to 
suppose  that  it  was  rather  dictated  by  his  fears  than 
by  his  real  sentiments." 

Not  long  afterward  Duch6  went  to  England,  and 
the  country  never  saw  him  again. 

The  intensity  of  the  feeling  against  England  in  the 
city  was  shown  in  the  July  following  the  session  of  the 
276 


THE   CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

Congress  at  which  Duche*  made  his  famous  prayer,  by 
a  letter  which  Franklin  sent  to  William  Strahan  of 
London,  whom  he  had  been  accustomed  to  address 
affectionately  as  "Straney."  This  famous  letter  read: 

"Mr.   Strahan, 

"You  are  a  member  of  Parliament,  and  one  of  that 
Majority  which  has  doomed  my  Country  to  Destruc- 
tion. You  have  begun  to  burn  our  towns,  and  murder 
our  People.  Look  upon  your  hands !  They  are  stained 
with  the  Blood  of  your  Relations.  You  and  I  were 
long  Friends.  You  are  now  my  Enemy,  and 
I  am 

Yours, 

"B.  Franklin." 

By  this  time  hundreds  of  loyal  Philadelphians  had 
banded  together  to  resist  the  British  forces  that  must 
inevitably  come  against  them.  They  were  not  dis- 
turbed by  the  thought  that  their  numbers  were  com- 
paratively few,  or  that  their  equipment  was  woefully 
inadequate.  With  the  same  high  courage  that  had 
led  their  ancestors  to  leave  their  comfortable  homes 
in  England  to  brave  the  unknown  perils  of  the  new 
land,  they  quickly  decided  to  be  ready  for  any  emer- 
gency. The  spirit  that  animated  them  is  illustrated 
by  the  experience  of  David  Claypoole,  descendant  of 
John  Claypoole,  emigrant  of  1683,  and  brother  of  the 
third  husband  of  Betsy  Ross,  who  is  said  to  have  made 
the  first  American  flag  at  her  house  in  Arch  Street. 
He  wrote  in  1826: 

"An  elder  Brother  and  myself,  then  19  years  old, 
Converted  our  fowling  Pieces  into  Muskets,  by  the 
addition  of  bayonets  and  iron  ram-rods;  and  providing 
ourselves  with  the  necessary  accoutrements,  &c,  at  our 

277 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

own  expence, — were  amongst  the  first  to  enrol  ourselves 
as  Privates  in  Captain  [afterwards  General]  Mifflin's 
Company  of  Infantry  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia." 

Now  that  war  seemed  inevitable,  Congress  turned 
to  another  of  the  Philadelphians  on  whom  that  body 
never  called  in  vain,  Robert  Morris.  He  was  asked 
to  suggest  methods  of  procuring  money  for  war  pur- 
poses. This  was  the  beginning  of  the  task  that  occupied 
him  to  the  close  of  the  war.  Neglecting  his  own  busi- 
ness he  devoted  himself  to  the  country,  advancing 
funds  of  his  own,  securing  loans,  responding  to  the 
clamorous  calls  of  General  Washington,  to  whom  the 
state  refused  to  send  the  sums  for  which  they  were 
asked.  All  this  he  did  though  Congress  had  persisted 
in  taking  a  step  that  he  thought  was  not  the  wisest 
possible.  But  he  was  ready  to  serve  his  country,  and 
the  reason  he  gave  himself : 

"I  think  the  individual  who  declines  the  service  of 
his  country  because  its  Councils  are  not  conformable  to 
his  ideas,  makes  but  a  bad  subject;  a  good  man  can 
follow,  if  he  cannot  lead." 

There  were  many  who,  like  Robert  Morris,  did  not 
vote  for  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  but  who, 
like  him,  signed  the  document  when  it  was  passed 
against  their  better  judgment. 

The  adoption  of  the  Declaration  at  a  time  when 
everything  looked  favorable  to  the  Colonies  would  have 
been  a  brave  deed.  But  it  must  always  be  remembered, 
to  the  eternal  honor  of  the  heroic  signers,  that  the 
stand  was  taken  when  disaster  after  disaster  had  over- 
taken the  arms  of  the  Colonists.  Abraham  Clark, 
a  member  of  Congress,  realized  the  force  of  this  fact 
278 


THE  DESK  OF  THE  DECLARATION,  IN  INDEPENDENCE  HALL 


THE   CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

when  he  said,  in  a  letter  written  on  July  4,  1776,  "In 
times  of  danger  and  under  misfortune  true  Courage 
and  Magnanimity  can  only  be  ascertained." 

Four  days  after  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  on 
August  2,  1776,  Mr.  Clark  wrote  another  letter  which 
showed  his  devotion: 

"As  to  my  title,  I  know  not  yet  whether  it  will  be 
honourable  or  dishonourable;  the  issue  of  the  war 
must  settle  it.  Perhaps  our  Congress  will  be  exalted 
on  a  high  gallows.  We  were  truly  brought  to  the  case 
of  the  three  lepers;  if  we  continued  in  the  state  we 
were  in,  it  was  evident  we  must  perish;  if  we  declared 
Independence  we  might  be  saved — we  could  but 
perish  .  .  .  Nothing  short  of  the  power  of  God  can 
save  us.  .  .  .1  think  an  interposing  Providence 
hath  been  evident  in  all  the  events  that  necessarily  led 
us  to  what  we  are  .  .  .  independent  states." 

John  Adams  was  another  of  that  little  body  of  brave 
men  who  made  Independence  Hall  and  Philadelphia 
famous  by  their  stand  for  the  Declaration.  To  his 
wife  he  told  of  his  feelings : 

"The  second  day  of  July,  1776,  will  be  the  most 
memorable  epocha  in  the  history  of  America.  I  am 
apt  to  believe  that  it  will  be  celebrated  by  succeed  ;ng 
generations  as  the  great  anniversary  Festival.  It 
ought  to  be  commemorated  as  the  day  of  deliverance  by 
solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  God  Almighty.  It  ought 
to  be  solemnized  with  pomp  and  parade,  with  shows, 
games,  sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires  and  illuminations, 
from  one  end  of  this  continent  to  the  other,  from  this 
time  forward,  forevermore. 

"  .  .  .1  am  well  aware  of  the  toil,  and  blood,  and 
treasure  it  will  cost  to  maintain  this  Declaration 
and  support  and  defend  these  States.  Yet,  through 
all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the  rays  of  ravishing  light  and 

279 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is  more  than  worth  all 
the  means.  And  that  posterity  will  triumph  in  that 
day's  transaction,  even  although  we  should  rue  it, 
which  I  trust  in  God  we  .shall  not." 

William  Ellery,  one  of  the  heroes  of  that  day, 
showed  his  realization  of  the  seriousness  of  the  step 
taken  when  he  wrote  to  his  brother  that  it  was  "One 
Thing  for  Colonies  to  declare  themselves  independent, 
and  another  to  establish  themselves  in  Independency." 

With  what  joy  loyal  residents  of  Philadelphia 
heard  the  pealing  of  the  State  House  bell  as  it  sent  out 
the  tidings  that  the  Declaration  was  a  fact.  This  bell 
bore  the  prophetic  inscription,  written  in  1751  by 
Isaac  Norris  speaker  of  the  Assembly,  when  he  ordered 
it  from  England: 

"Proclaim  Liberty  throughout  the  land,  unto  all 
the  inhabitants  thereof.  Levit.  xxv.  10-" 

The  man  who  ordered  the  bell  did  not  live  to  see 
his  unconscious  prophecy  fulfilled;  he  died  ten  years 
before  the  glorious  day. 

More  than  a  year  passed  before  the  average  resident 
of  Philadelphia  realized  the  seriousness  of  the  step 
taken  by  Congress,  for  the  theater  of  war  was  in  other 
sections  of  the  country.  There  were  so  many  disasters 
elsewhere  that  Thomas  Paine  spoke  the  famous  words: 
"These  are  the  times  that  try  men's  souls." 

When,  later  in  1776,  the  near  approach  of  the  enemy 
to  the  city  caused  a  panic  not  only  among  the  people 
but  in  Congress — which  voted  to  adjourn  to  Baltimore 
— there  were  those  who  tried  to  say,  "Steady!"  John 
Adams  was  not  ready  to  yield  to  panic;  he  pleaded, 

280 


THE   CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

"Let  America  exert  her  own  strength,  let  her  depend 
on  God's  blessing." 

Many  of  the  people  fled  to  the  country.  Society 
was  disorganized.  One  woman  who  is  known  only  by 
the  initials  "H.  T."  told  of  her  experiences  at  the  time: 

"Where  shall  we  go;  how  shall  we  ever  get  out  of 
town?  was  the  universal  cry.  Carriages  of  every 
description  were  few,  and  all  were  anxiously  sought 
.  .  .  Wealthy  residents  kept  a  one-horse  chaise,  but 
what  was  this  to  the  conveyance  of  a  whole  household? 
A  coach  was  here  and  there  kept  by  the  high  order,  but 
these  were  not  in  requisition;  they  belonged  chiefly  to 
the  officers  of  the  royal  government  who,  fearing  no 
violence  from  their  brethren  had  determined  to  abide 
the  result. 

"But  greaf  was  the  scramble  among  the  scanty 
state  of  means.  Happy  was  he,  who  could  procure  a 
market  wagon,  or  a  milk  cart,  to  bear  off  his  little 
ones;  my  family,  together  with  that  of  a  friend  .  .  . 
were  stowed,  women,  children  and  servants  .  .  . 
more  than  a  score,  into  a  small  river  craft  called  a 
wood-flat,  whose  smoky  cabin  did  not  permit  the 
ladies  with  infants  in  their  arms,  to  sit  quite  upright. 
The  smoke,  however,  was  intolerable,  and  we  girls, 
whose  young  hearts  shrank  from  no  inconvenience  or 
danger,  made  our  beds  with  blankets  upon  the  deck; 
from  this  enviable  station  we  were  driven  by  a  heavy 
fall  of  snow,  into  the  hold  of  the  boat,  where  we  slept 
soundly  on  the  few  tables  and  chairs  which  our  hurry 
had  enabled  us  to  carry  with  us.  Innumerable  were 
the  hardships,  and  much  would  you  wonder,  could  I 
tell  you  what  the  scattered  Philadelphians  endured 
at  this  trying  season;  thankful  if  they  could  find  a 
hut  or  a  barn  in  any  region  of  security.  Sometimes, 
those  who  had  never  spoken  together  in  the  city  would 
meet  in  their  wanderings,  and  then  all  distinctions  of  rank 
were  forgotten,  and  they  were  a  band  of  brothers  ..." 

281 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Of  course  there  were  those  who  were  too  patriotic 
to  leave  the  city.  They  were  on  hand  to  heed  the  call 
of  the  Council  of  Safety  made  on  December  2,  1776, 
that  "the  shops  be  shut  up,  that  the  schools  be  broken 
up,  and  the  Inhabitants  engaged  solely  in  providing 
for  the  defence  of  the  City,  at  this  time  of  extra  Danger." 

Fortunately  Washington  was  able  to  drive  back 
across  New  Jersey  the  British  whose  approach  had  put 
the  city  in  a  panic.  His  operations,  however,  would 
have  been  impossible  if  Robert  Morris  had  not  re- 
sponded to  his  frantic  appeal  for  money  by  sending 
fifty  thousand  dollars  of  his  own  funds. 

The  first  anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  one  of  the  notable  days  in  Philadelphia 
during  the  Revolution.  Thanksgiving  for  the  freedom 
of  the  city  from  invasion  found  expression  in  a  great 
festival.  George  Bryan,  member  of  Congress,  gave 
another  reason  for  the  extent  of  the  celebration  as  en- 
couraged by  the  authorities.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife— 
whom  by  the  way,  he  called  his  "lover,  partner  and 
friend" — he  said,  "We  were  willing  to  give  the  idea 
of  rejoicing  full  swing;  the  spirits  of  the  Whigs  must 
be  kept  up."  Congress  adjourned  in  order  to  dine 
together  at  the  City  Tavern.  The  armed  vessels  and 
guard  boats  on  the  Delaware  were  dressed  in  the  colors 
of  all  nations,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  crews  manned 
the  rigging,  and  many  salutes  of  thirteen  guns  were 
fired.  The  wharves  were  lined  by  great  crowds  of 
shouting  people.  A  military  parade  followed.  In  the 
evening  the  windows  of  most  of  the  houses  were  il- 
luminated with  candles,  though,  as  John  Adams  re- 
marked, a  "few  surly  houses  were  dark."  The  almost 
282 


LOOKING    TOWARD    THE    LIBERTY    BELL,    INDEPENDENCE    HALL 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

continual  ringing  of  the  bells,  bonfires  and  fireworks, 
were  other  features  of  a  celebration  that  led  Adams  to 
say,  "Had  General  Howe  been  here  in  disguise,  or  his 
Master, this  show  would  havegiventhemtheheartache." 

Not  many  days  passed,  however,  before  General 
Howe  was  heard  from  in  such  a  way  that  the  Tories 
took  heart  and  the  Whigs  began  to  tremble  for  the 
safety  of  the  city.  The  British  commander  had  sailed 
from  Sandy  Hook  and  an  invasion  was  feared.  Anxiety 
increased  when  word  came  that  the  army  had  been 
landed  at  Head  of  Elk,  not  one  hundred  miles  from 
the  city. 

September  10  brought  an  urgent  appeal  from  the 
Supreme  Executive  Council,  signed  by  President 
Thomas  Wharton,  Jr.,  and  Timothy  Matlack,  sec- 
retary, in  which  all  persons  were  told  of  the  necessity 
of  exerting  themselves  to  crush  the  foe,  "now  in  the 
bowels  of  our  Country."  By  the  help  of  heaven,  the 
proclamation  said  further,  it  was  hoped  that  the  in- 
sulting foe  would  be  cut  off  from  all  means  of  escape. 

Reluctantly  the  Council,  whose  secretary  was  one 
of  the  "Fighting  Quakers"  who  were  among  the 
country's  stoutest  defenders,  took  other  measures 
that  they  had  considered  before  but  had  postponed. 
There  were  many  residents  in  the  city  who  were  luke- 
warm in  their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  and  it 
was  feared  that  they  might  give  aid  and  comfort  to  the 
enemy.  David  Rittenhouse  was  asked  to  make  out  a  list 
of  these.  Of  the  forty  whose  names  appeared  in  the  list, 
some  were  warned  not  to  communicate  with  the  enemy, 
and  not  to  go  far  from  their  homes .  About  twenty-seven 
were  sent  to  the  Masonic  Lodge  for  safekeeping. 

283 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

From  this  place  of  confinement  the  prisoners,  most 
of  whom  were  Friends,  wrote  a  protest  against  their 
detention  as  "illegal,  unjust,  arbitrary  and  contrary 
to  the  rights  of  mankind."  At  the  same  time  they 
applied  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus.  The  writ  was 
granted  when  the  party  was  on  the  way  to  Virginia, 
under  guard,  but,  by  authority  of  the  Assembly,  the 
writ  was  disregarded,  and  the  journey  to  Virginia  was 
resumed,  though  the  prisoners  had  been  informed 
that  they  could  have  their  liberty  if  they  would  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance  and  make  certain  promises. 

In  the  diary  of  Robert  Morton,  a  sixteen-year-old 
Friend,  was  recorded  a  lament  that  shows  the  intensity 
of  feeling  at  this  deportation  that  the  Council  deemed 
necessary: 

"O  Philada.  my  Native  City,  thou  that  hast  here- 
tofore been  so  remarkable  for  the  preservation  of  thy 
Rights,  now  sufferest  those  who  were  the  Guardians, 
Protectors,  and  Defenders  of  thy  Youth  and  who  con- 
tributed their  share  in  raising  thee  to  thy  present  state 
of  Grandeur  and  magnificence  with  a  rapidity  not  to  be 
parallelled  in  the  World,  to  be  dragged  by  a  licentious 
mob  from  their  near  and  dear  connections,  and  by  the 
hands  of  lawless  power,  banished  from  the  country 
unheard,  perhaps  nevermore  to  return,  for  the  sole 
suspicion  of  being  enemies  of  that  cause  in  which  thou 
art  now  engaged  .  .  .  Alas,  the  day  must  come  when 
the  Avenger's  hand  shall  make  thee  suffer  for  thy  guilt, 
and  thy  rulers  shall  defer  thy  fate." 

The  attitude  of  many  of  those  who  remained  in  the 
city  may  be  seen  from  the  entry  in  Morton's  diary 
on  September  26,  1777: 

"Lord  Comwallis  .  .  .  marched  into  this  city 
...  to  the  great  relief  of  the  inhabitants  who  have 
284 


THE   CITY  OF  THE  DECLARATION 

too  long  suffered  the  yoke  of  arbitrary  Power;  and 
who  testified  their  approbation  of  the  arrival  of  the 
troops  by  the  loudest  acclamations  of  joy." 

On  the  same  day  Elizabeth  Drinker  wrote  in  her 
journal : 

"Well!  here  are  ye  English  in  earnest;  about  2  or 
3000  came  in  through  Second  street,  without  opposi- 
tion or  interruption — no  plundering  on  ye  one  side  or 
ye  other.  What  a  satisfaction  would  it  be  to  our  dear 
absent  friends  could  they  but  be  be  informed  of  it; 
our  end  of  ye  Town  has  appeared  the  greater  part  of 
this  day  like  ye  first  day  of  ye  week." 

It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  change  in  the  sentiments 
of  those  who  looked  so  complacently  on  the  coming 
of  the  invaders.  To  their  surprise  and  indignation 
they  soon  found  that  the  presence  of  the  soldiers  in 
the  city  did  not  mean  comforts  for  them,  with  entire 
freedom  from  all  annoyance.  There  was  quartering 
in  the  house  and  the  seizure  of  property,  and  there  was 
interference  with  the  customary  manner  of  life  that  is 
almost  inevitable  where  an  invader  has  possession, 
no  matter  how  careful  the  officers  may  be  to  keep 
discomforts  at  a  minimum. 

On  December  15,  Mrs.  Drinker  began  to  open  her 
eyes  to  the  bitter  truth.  "Ye  officers  and  soldiers 
are  quartering  themselves  upon  ye  Families  generally," 
she  wrote.  "One  with  his  Family  is  to  be  fixt  at  J. 
Howells.  I  am  in  daily  expectation  of  their  calling 
upon  us.  They  were  much  frightened  last  night  at 
Isaac  Catheralls  by  a  soldier  who  came  into  ye  House, 
drew  his  Bayonet  on  Isaac,  and  behaved  very  dis- 
orderly." On  December  19  a  major  came  to  her, 

285 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

suggesting  that  he  would  like  to  stay  at  her  house.  She 
told  him  that  she  and  her  sister,  being  lone  women, 
expected  to  be  excused.  He  said  he  feared  not;  that  he 
thought  it  would  be  well  for  her  to  take  him  in,  since  he 
was  conscious  that  he  had  some  of  the  qualities  that 
would  make  him  suitable.  "I  am  straitened  how  to 
act,  and  yet  determined,"  she  wrote,  after  his  departure. 
"I  may  be  troubled  with  others  much  worse  .  .  . 
but  while  I  can  keep  clear  of  them,  I  intend  to  so  do. 
They  have  markd  ye  doors  of  Houses  against  their 
consent,  and  some  of  ye  inhabitants  have  looked  out 
for  officers  of  reputation  (if  any  such  there  be),  to 
come  into  their  Families,  by  way  of  protection,  and 
to  keep  off  others." 

The  English  sympathizers  had  further  reasons  for 
apprehension.  She  told  how  Owen  Jones's  family  had 
been  ill-used,  by  an  officer  who  wanted  to  quarter 
himself,  with  many  others,  upon  them.  "He  drew 
his  sword,  used  every  abusive  language,  and  had  ye 
Front  door  split  in  pieces."  Another  neighbor  com- 
plained that  she  was  no  longer  allowed  to  use  her  own 
front  door;  the  soldiers  made  her  and  her  family  use 
the  alley. 

Mrs.  Drinker  managed  to  hold  out  until  December 
30,  when  the  officer  came  to  the  house,  bringing  with 
him  a  servant,  two  horses  and  two  cows«< 

Phoebe  Pemberton,  who  lived  at  The  Plantation, 
on  the  Schuylkill,  on  the  present  site  of  the  United 
States  Naval  Hospital,  tried  to  curry  favor  with  the 
officers  so  as  to  be  sure  of  protection  from  the  men, 
but  in  November,  1777,  she  felt  obliged  to  write  to 
Lord  Howe: 
286 


THE  CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

"...  Being  possessed  of  two  small  farms,  near 
the  city,  on  one  of  which  there  is  a  small  piece  of  wood, 
Intended  for  Firing  for  myself  and  children,  with  a  few 
of  the  Inhabitants,  some  of  whom  are  not  able  to  pay 
for  it,  but  have  constantly  partook  of  My  beloved 
Husband's  bounty,  by  supplying  them  in  the  Winter 
season  with  a  small  quantity,  which  I  shall  be  rendered 
incapable  of  doing,  as  the  soldiers  are  taking  away  and 
say  they  did  by  permission  of  the  General's  secretary. 
The  Tenants  of  these  places  have  informed  me  that 
they  must  be  obliged  to  leave  their  Habitations,  being 
stript  of  their  Hay,  Vegetables,  &c,  on  which  they  de- 
pended for  a  Living." 

In  the  spring  of  1778  there  was  rivalry  among  some 
of  the  officers  as  to  who  should  occupy  The  Plantation 
as  his  summer  residence.  Finally  Mrs.  Pemberton  was 
constrained  to  promise  it  to  one  of  them.  But  when 
summer  came,  he  and  the  entire  army,  were  far  away. 

Philadelphia  was  not  much  more  popular  with  some 
of  the  British  officers  than  the  invading  force  was  with 
the  people.  One  of  them  wrote,  on  January  18,  1778 : 

"If  the  Honourable  Count  Penn  should  surrender 
to  me  the  whole  country  for  my  patent,  on  condition 
that  I  should  live  here  during  my  life,  I  would  scarcely 
accept  it.  And  this  is  the  promised  land,  the  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  which  so  many  before  us 
have  praised." 

While  the  British  were  living  so  comfortably  in 
Philadelphia  the  Continental  troops  were  freezing 
and  starving  at  Valley  Forge,  a  day's  march  from  the 
city.  The  heroism  displayed  by  Washington  and  his 
men  during  that  memorable  winter  is  one  of  the  most 
glorious  things  in  our  history.  The  efforts  to  secure 
supplies  to  them  did  not  meet  with  much  success,  though 

287 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

there  were  many  patriots  who  were  glad  to  make  the 
greatest  sacrifices  in  their  behalf.  In  these  days  when 
the  cause  of  liberty  was  in  temporary  shadow,  there 
were  women  who  devoted  care  and  thought  to  the  needs 
of  the  soldiers.  A  paper  has  been  preserved,  prepared 
by  one  who  is  known  simply  as*' An  American  Mother." 
She  wrote  her  "Idea  as  to  Forwarding  Presents  of  the 
American  Women."  Evidently,  however,  the  message 
was  prepared  at  a  more  favorable  time  than  when  an 
enemy  was  at  the  threshold,  for  she  began : 

"If  we  enjoy  any  tranquillity,  it  is  the  fruit  of  your 
watchings,  your  labours,  your  dangers.  If  I  live  happy 
in  the  midst  of  my  family;  if  my  husband  cultivates 
his  field,  and  reaps  the  harvest  in  peace;  if,  surrounded 
with  my  children,  I  myself  nourish  the  youngest,  and 
press  it  to  my  bosom,  without  being  afraid  of  seeing 
myself  separated  from  it,  by  a  ferocious  enemy;  if  the 
house  in  which  we  dwell  ...  is  safe  at  the  present 
time  from  the  hands  of  these  incendiaries,  it  is  to  you 
that  we  owe  it.  And  shall  we  hesitate  to  evidence  to  you 
our  gratitude?  Shall  we  hesitate  to  wear  a  cloath- 
ing  more  simple;  hair  dressed  less  elegant,  while  at  the 
price  of  this  small  privation,  we  shall  deserve  your 
benedictions. '  Who,  amongst  us,  will  not  renounce 
with  the  highest  pleasure,  those  vain  ornaments,  when 
she  shall  consider  that  the  valiant  defenders  of  America 
will  be  able  to  draw  some  advantage  from  the  money 
which  she  may  have  laid  out  in  these,  that  they  will  be 
better  defended  from  the  rigours  of  the  seasons.  .  .  . 
The  time  is  arrived  to  display  the  same  sentiments 
which  animated  us  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution, 
when  we  renounced  the  use  of  teas  .  .  .  rather  than 
receive  them  from  our  persecutors  .  .  .  when  our 
republican  and  laborious  hands  spun  the  flax,  prepared 
the  linen,  intended  for  the  use  of  our  soldiers.  ..." 
288 


The    Pl<\nt_aUon".  Perrvber-Corvy.  — 


TICKET    FOR   THE    MESCHIANZA 
(From  the  original  in  the  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia) 


THE    CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

Having  said  these  things,  which  sound  much  as  if 
they  came  from  the  patriotic  heart  of  a  woman  of  to- 
day, she  outlined  her  plan  for  securing  and  sending 
money  to. the  camp,  which  should  be  used  for  the 
purpose  of  adding  extras  to  the  necessary  supplies 
the  government  was  supposed  to  furnish. 

At  the  very  time  when,  at  Valley  Forge,  there  was 
intense  suffering  among  the  American  soldiers,  the 
invaders  were  drawing  on  Philadelphia  for  supplies  to 
make  a  success  of  the  great  festival,  the  Meschianza, 
in  honor  of  the  departure  for  England  of  General 
Howe  and  some  of  his  associate  officers.  It  has  been 
said  that  this  was  the  "most  elaborate  celebration  ever 
held  in  America  up  to  that  time,"  May  18, 1778.  Major 
Andre*  was  one  of  the  two  men  in  charge  of  the  wonder- 
ful decorations. 

Elizabeth  Drinker's  account  is  more  satisfactory 
than  the  elaborate  record  of  Major  Andre": 

"This  day  may  be  remembered  by  many  from  ye 
scene  of  Folly  and  Vanity  ...  Ye  parade  of  Coaches 
and  other  Carriages,  with  many  Horsemen,  thro'  the 
Streets,  towards  ye  Northern  Liberties;  where  great 
numbers  of  ye  Officers  and  some  women,  embarked  in 
three  Galleys  and  a  number  of  boats,  and  passed  down 
ye  River,  before  ye  city,  with  Colors  displayed,  and  a 
large  Band  of  Music,  and  ye  ships  in  ye  Harbor  deco- 
rated with  Colors,  which  were  saluted  by  ye  Cannon  of 
some  of  them.  It  is  said  they  landed  in  Southwark, 
and  proceeded  from  ye  waterside  to  Joseph  Wharton's 
late  dwelling,  which  had  been  decorated  and  fitted  up 
for  this  occasion  in  an  expensive  way,  for  this  Company, 
to  Feast,  Dance  and  Revel  in.  On  ye  River  Sky- 
Rockets  and  other  Fire- Works  were  exhibited  after 
night. 

289 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

"How  insensible  do  these  people  appear,  while  our 
Land  is  so  greatly  desolated,  and  death  and  sore  de- 
struction has  overtaken,  and  now  impends  over  so 
many ! " 

It  has  been  said  that  Margaret  Shippen  and  her 
sister  danced  at  the  ball  which  lasted  until  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  But  this  has  been  denied.  Their 
father,  Edward  Shippen,  refused  to  allow  them  to  be 
present,  not  for  patriotic  reasons,  but  because  of  the 
immodesty  of  the  costumes  which  Major  Andre*  had 
planned  for  them. 

A  month  after  the  Meschianza,  the  British  de- 
parted as  swiftly  as  they  had  come.  "Last  night  it 
was  said  there  were  9000  of  ye  British  Troops  left  in 
Town;  11,000  in  ye  Jerseys,"  Elizabeth  Drinker's  com- 
ment began.  "This  morning  when  we  arose  there  was 
not  one  Red-Coat  to  be  seen  in  Town,  and  ye  encamp- 
ment in  the  Jerseys  also  vanished.  Col.  Gordon  and 
some  others  had  not  been  gone  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
before  ye  American  Light  Horse  entered  ye  city — not 
many  of  them,  but  they  were  in  and  out  all  day." 

July  4,  the  second  anniversary  of  Independence, 
was  so  close  that  an  early  outlet  was  given  to  the  people 
for  their  joy.  Most  of  the  city  joined  in  the  celebration, 
though  there  were  many  who  were  not  so  glad.  Eliza- 
beth Drinker,  one  of  them  wrote:  "A  great  fuss  this 
evening  .  .  .  firing  of  Guns,  Sky-Rockets,  &c. 
Candles  were  too  scarce  and  dear  to  have  an  illumi- 
nation, which  perhaps  saved  some  of  our  windows." 

General  Benedict  Arnold,  who  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  troops  in  the  city  immediately  on  the  American 
re-occupation,    took    advantage    of    the    opportunity 
290 


THE   CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

thus  presented  to  press  his  courtship  of  Margaret 
Shippen  with  great  ardor.  The  extravagence  of  the 
establishment  he  maintained  at  this  time  was  one  of 
Edward  Shippen's  reasons  for  looking  with  disfavor 
on  him  as  a  son-in-law. 

A  glance  at  Arnold's  household  accounts  for  1778- 
1779  shows  that  Mr.  Shippen's  fears  were  not  without 
cause.  Here  are  a  few  items : 

Steward's  bill £  114.11.  7 

Ham 41 

Cheese 4.  9.  4 

2  Pipes  Wine 1000. 

20  Loaves  Sugar 274. 

26  Ib.  Green  Tea 195. 

Table  Furniture 160.12.0 

Almonds  &  Raisins 14.  5.  0 

Market  expenses,  July  to  February  20.. ..  1363.10.10 

Prices  were  already  becoming  so  high  that  there 
was  no  room  for  extravagence.  The  city  was  flooded 
with  Continental  currency,  and  the  evils  which  Robert 
Morris  had  predicted  when  he  opposed  the  first  issue 
were  becoming  apparent.  On  March  1, 1778,  one  dollar 
"hard  money"  brought  $1.75  in  bills;  on  September  1, 
1778,  the  ratio  was  1  to  4;  on  March  1,  1779,  1  to  10; 
September  1,  1779,  1  to  18;  March  18,  1780,  1  to  40; 
December  1,  1780,  1  to  100;  May  1,  1781,  1  to  from 
200  to  500.  No  wonder  Samuel  Adams  paid  five  hun- 
dred dollars  for  a  hat,  that  shoes  cost  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars  a  pair,  that  even  a  fish-hook  cost 
half  a  dollar,  and  that  William  Ellery,  member  of 
Congress,  during  the  winter  of  1779  and  1780,  paid  for 
board  to  Mrs.  Miller  on  Arch  Street,  between  Fourth 

291 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

and  Fifth  streets,  $300  per  week  for  himself  and  his 
servant,  an  amount  which  became  much  greater  in  the 
spring  of  1780. 

Edward  Shippen  seriously  considered  removing  to 
Lancaster  because,  while  "the  common  articles  of  life, 
such  as  are  absolutely  necessary  for  a  family,"  were 
not  much  higher  in  Philadelphia  than  in  Lancaster, 
the  style  of  life  his  fashionable  daughters  had  intro- 
duced, and  their  dress,  threatened  to  bankrupt  him. 
"The  expense  of  supporting  my  family  now  will  not 
fall  short  of  four  or  five  thousand  pounds  per  annum, 
an  expense  insupportable  without  income,"  he  wrote. 
But  he  was  able  to  revise  his  plan,  for  his  generous 
fellow  citizens,  who  recognized  real  worth  in  spite  of 
the  failure  to  be  entirely  loyal  to  the  cause  of  liberty, 
asked  him  to  take  a  judicial  office  which  afterwards 
opened  the  way  for  an  associate  Justiceship;  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Supreme  Court. 

A  vain  attempt  to  limit  prices  was  proposed.  A 
committee  of  merchants  was  to  fix  the  cost  of  the 
necessaries  of  life.  These  prices  were  to  be  reduced 
every  few  weeks  until  they  were  low  enough.  On  May 
25,  1779,  a  town  meeting  was  held  to  take  the  vote 
of  the  people  as  to  the  plan.  This  was  held  in  the 
State  House  Yard,  amid  great  excitement.  There 
were  those  who  thought  the  attempt  would  succeed, 
and  there  were  many  more  who  scoffed  at  it.  Among 
the  hopeful  ones  were  the  "many  families  .  .  . 
without  bread"  of  whom  Mrs.  Franklin  wrote  to  her 
husband.  One  of  the  doubters,  Joseph  Stansbury, 
wrote  some  satirical  verse  about  the  meeting  of  which 
stanzas  were: 
292 


THE  CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

"And  now  the  State  House  yard  was  full 
And   orators   so  fierce,   so   dull, 

Appeared  upon  the  Stage, 
But  all   was  riot,   noise,   disgrace. 
And  freedom's  sons  through  all  the  place 

In  bloody  frays  engage. 

"Sagacious  Matlack  strove  in  vain 
To  pour  his  sense  in  Dutchman's  brain 

With  every  art  to  please 
Observed,   "that  as  the  Money  fell 
Like    Lucifer,    to    Coward    Hell 

Tho'   swift,   yet  by  degrees 
So  should  it  rise,  and  goods  should  fall, 
Month  after  month,  and  one  and  all 

Would  be  as  cheap  as  ever." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  carry  out  the  pur- 
pose of  the  meeting,  but  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  that 
they  did  not  succeed;  this  was  not  the  way  to  attack 
the  problem.  Eighteen  months  later,  however,  they 
were  still  persisting  in  their  vain  plan.  Mrs.  Drinker 
told,  on  November  23,  1780,  of  a  meeting  of  merchants, 
which  "came  to  a  resolve  that  the  Continental  money 
(which  now  passed  at  upwards  of  100  for  one)  should 
pass  at  75,  and  that  debts  &c  should  be  paid  at  that 
rate."  They  "appointed  men  to  go  round  the  city 
to  ye  Inhabitants  with  a  paper  to  sign,  to  ye  above 
effect — those  who  refuse  are  to  be  held  up  to  ye  Popu- 
lace as  enemies  to  the  country." 

The  wiser  method  of  attacking  the  high  cost  of 
living,  economy  and  abstinence,  was  emphasized  by 
Benjamin  Franklin  in  letters  to  his  daughter,  Sarah. 

On  January  17,  1779,  Sarah  wrote  to  her  father  in 
France,  telling  him  of  her  desire  to  return  to  the  Min- 

293 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

ister  [she  did  not  say  of  what  country]  eight  yards  of 
flannel  which  he  had  given  her.  She  suggested  further 
that  she  would  have  great  pleasure  in  wearing  anything 
her  father  chose  to  send  her,  and  in  bragging  to  others 
of  her  father's  taste.  Then  she  told  of  various  social 
affairs  which  she  had  been  attending. 

In  his  reply,  dated  in  June,  the  father  gently  re- 
buked her  for  what  he  felt  was  lack  of  patriotism,  in 
sending  for  "long  black  pins  and  lace  and  feathers." 

"This  disgusted  me  as  much  as  if  you  had  put  salt 
on  my  strawberries  .  .  .  The  spinning,  I  see,  is  laid 
aside,  and  you  are  to  be  dressed  for  the  ball;  you  seem 
not  to  know,  my  dear  daughter,  that  of  all  the  dear 
things  in  the  world  idleness  is  the  dearest,  except 
mischief  .  .  .  When  I  began  to  read  your  account 
of  the  high  prices  of  goods  ...  I  expected  you 
would  conclude  with  telling  me,  that  everybody  as 
well  as  yourself  was  grown  frugal  and  industrious;  and 
I  could  scarce  believe  my  eyes,  in  reading  forward, 
that  there  never  was  so  much  pleasure  and  dressing 
going  on;  and  that  you  yourself  wanted  black  pins 
and  feathers  from  France,  to  appear,  I  suppose,  in 
the  mode!  This  leads  me  to  imagine,  that  perhaps  it 
is  not  so  much  that  the  goods  are  grown  dear  as  that 
the  money  is  grown  cheap,  as  everything  else  will  do 
when  excessively  plenty  .  .  . 

"The  war,  indeed,  may  in  some  degree  raise  the 
price  of  goods,  and  the  high  taxes  which  are  necessary 
to  support  the  war  may  make  our  frugality  necessary 
and,  as  I  am  always  preaching  that  doctrine,  I  cannot, 
in  conscience  or  in  decency  encourage  the  contrary  by 
my  example,  in  furnishing  my  children  with  foolish 
modes  and  luxuries.  I,  therefore,  send  all  the  articles 
you  desire  that  are  useful  and  necessary,  and  omit  the 
rest;  for,  as  you  say,  you  should  'have  great  pride  in 
294 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON    AT   VALLEY    FORGE 
(From  the  painting  by  James  Peale,  in  Independence  Hall) 


THE    DECLARATION    OF    INDEPENDENCE    INKSTAND 


THE    CITY   OF   THE   DECLARATION 

wearing  anything  I  send,  and  showing  it  as  your  father's 
taste!'  I  must  avoid  giving  you  an  opportunity  of 
doing  that  with  either  lace  or  feathers.  If  you  wear 
your  cambric  ruffles  as  I  do,  and  take  care  not  to  mend 
the  holes,  they  will  come  in  time  to  be  lace;  and  feathers 
my  dear  girl,  they  may  be  had  in  America  from  every 
cock's  tail." 

The  man  who  perhaps  was  most  responsible  for  the 
growing  love  of  luxury  in  Philadelphia  led  Margaret 
Shippen  to  the  altar  on  April  8,  1779.  Her  dream 
of  happiness  did  not  continue  long,  for  less  than  eigh- 
teen months  passed  before  his  messenger,  Major  Andre*, 
was  caught  in  the  attempt  to  carry  to  the  British  the 
plans  of  West  Point,  of  which  at  the  time  Arnold  was 
commander.  Philadelphia's  opinion  of  the  traitor 
was  shown  in  a  parade  on  September  30.  Of  this  Mrs. 
Drinker  gave  spirited  account: 

"On  the  seventh  day  last  .  .  -•'.  was  exhibited 
and  paraded  through  the  streets  of  this  City  a  ridic- 
ulous figure  of  Gen1.  Arnold,  with  two  faces,  and  the 
Devil  standing  behind  him  pushing  him  with  a  pitchfork 
At  ye  front  of  ye  cart  was  a  large  Lanthprn  of  green 
paper,  with  a  number  of  inscriptions  setting  forth  his 
crime  .  .  .  Several  hundred  men  and  boys  with  can- 
dles in  their  hands — All  in  ranks;  many  Officers,  ye 
Infantry,  men  with  Guns  and  Bayonets,  Tag,  Rag,  &c, 
somewhere  near  ye  Coffee  House  They  burnt  ye 
Effigy  .  .  .»' 

Mrs.  Arnold  was  allowed  to  return  to  the  city  for 
a  time,  but  at  the  request  of  the  Council  she  left  soon 
afterward,  and  went  with  her  husband  to  England. 

The  preservation  of  the  city  from  the  results  of 
Arnold's  treason  must  have  been  in  the  Council's 
mind  when  they  called  on  the  people  to  observe  Thurs- 

295 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

day,  December  7,  1780,  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving. 
On  that  day  they  asked  that  prayer  be  offered  to  God 
"to  lead  our  forces  by  land  and  sea  to  victory,  to  take 
our  illustrious  ally  under  his  special  protection,  and 
favour  our  joint  councils  and  exertions  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  speedy  and  enduring  peace." 

At  that  time  the  darkness  was  being  dispelled  and 
the  heroic  men  and  women  of  the  city  who  had  remained 
steadfast  to  the  country  through  failure  as  well  as 
through  success,  rejoiced  in  the  prospect  of  an  early 
peace.  On  October  22,  1781,  the  prospect  seemed 
quite  rosy,  for  on  that  day  an  express  brought  the 
tidings  of  the  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis.  But 
during  the  fifteen  months  that  elapsed  before  the  tidings 
came  that  the  preliminary  treaty  had  been  signed 
there  was  much  call  for  patient  endurance.  Finally, 
on  February  13,  1783,  a  broadside  was  distributed 
through  the  city  with  the  glad  announcement: 

"By  a  gentleman  just  arrived  in  the  city  from  New 
Jersey,  we  have  received  his  Britannic  Majesty's 
Speech  to  Both  Houses  of  Parliament." 

In  this  speech,  which  had  been  brought  by  the  Brig- 
antine  Peggy  in  nineteen  days  from  Tortola,  the  King 
had  made  the  statement: 

"  I  did  not  hesitate  to  go  the  full  length  of  the  power 
vested  in  me,  and  offered  to  declare  them  [the  American 
Colonies]  FREE  AND  INDEPENDENT  STATES." 

The  joy  in  Philadelphia  was  unconfined.  Bells 
rang,  boys  shouted,  people  in  the  streets  greeted  one 
another  with  a  hearty  handclasp  and  with  shining  eyes, 
and  women  who  had  sacrificed  more  than  could  be 
measured  for  their  country  met  over  their  tea  cups 
to  discuss  the  glad  news  which  meant  that  to  so  many 
296 


THE  CITY  OF  THE   DECLARATION 

of  the  homes  of  the  city  fathers  and  sons  would  soon 
come  once  more.  And  those  who  could  not  look  for- 
ward to  the  return  of  loved  ones  whom  they  had  sent 
to  suffer  with  Washington  rejoiced  also — they  were 
glad  that  their  sacrifice  had  not  been  made  in  vain. 

Later  came  the  word  telling  of  the  Bang's  Procla- 
mation, dated  February  14,  1783,  in  which  was  ordered 
the  cessation  of  hostilities.  This  was  printed  in  London 
by  the  very  William  Strahan  to  whom,  in  1775  Franklin 
had  sent  the  famous  "I  am  yours"  letter. 

What  a  Fourth  of  July  they  had  in  1783!  Jacob 
Hiltzheimer  told  of  one  of  the  events  of  the  day: 

"In  the  afternoon  a  triumphal  car  .  .  .  attended 
by  a  number  of  boys  and  girls  dressed  in  white,  was 
paraded  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  this  being  the 
memorable  day  independence  was  declared/' 

Less  than  two  months  after  this  historic  celebration, 
on  September  3,  1783,  the  definitive  treaty  of  peace 
was  signed,  and  as  soon  as  Philadelphians  heard  of 
this  they  breathed  a  sigh  of  glad  relief.  On  receipt 
of  the  news  Mrs.  Bache  wrote  to  her  father: 

"Most  earnestly  have  I  wished  for  the  definitive 
treaty  to  arrive,  and  Congress  to  find  a  meeting  place, 
that  they  might  then  have  time  to  recall  you  .  .  . 
The  treaty,  I  am  told,  is  come,  but  where  Congress  will 
settle,  no  one  can  say  .  .  .  Your  old  friend,  General 
Gates,  told  me  they  were  all  splitting  and  separating, 
that  no  man  in  the  world  could  hoop  the  barrel  but  you, 
and  that  you  were  much  wanted  here." 

For  more  than  two  years  Congress,  which  was  acting 
under,  the  loosely  drawn  Articles  of  Confederation, 
a  temporary  document  which  had  not  been  ratified 

297 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

by  ten  states  until  July,  1778,  had  been  a  wandering 
body.  It  could  not  compel  the  states  to  obey  its  will, 
and  could  not  even  force  the  attendance  of  its  own 
members.  Frequently  no  more  than  twenty  of  them 
were  present.  The  body  was  losing  the  respect  of  the 
mass  of  the  people. 

But  there  were  still  patriots  in  Philadelphia  who 
were  sure  that  the  day  of  better  things  would  dawn, 
and  they  were  waiting  for  the  opportunity  to  show 
their  loyalty  by  helping  to  usher  in  America's  brighter 
day. 


XIV 
UNTIL  THE  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

A  TREMENDOUS  SOCIAL  STRAIN — A  SPECTACULAR  FOURTH  OF  JULY — WOES 
AT  BUSH  HILL — MARTHA  WASHINGTON'S  "CHICKEN  FHYKECY" — 
PUMPS  AND  OPEN  HYDRANTS — THE  FIRST  BALLOON  ASCENSION — 
WASHINGTON  OUT  AND  ADAMS  IN — WASHINGTON  AT  LAST  FINDS  REST 
— A  NEW  CENTURY,  A  NEW  CAPITAL,  AND  RENEWED  YOUTH  FOR 
PHILADELPHIA 

THE  story  of  Philadelphia  during  the  last  dec- 
ade and  a  half  of  the  eighteenth   century  is 
bound  up  with  the  story  of  George  Washington. 
In  1783  he  said  farewell  to  the  city  with  which  he  had 
been  so  closely  associated  during  much  of  the  period 
of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  he  thought  it  was  a 
final  farewell.    On  December  15,  the  day  of  the  Gen- 
eral's departure  for  his  home  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Jacob 
Hiltzheimer  wrote  in  his  diary: 

"I  .  .  .  sincerely  congratulate  him  on  the  noble 
resolution  he  has  made,  not  to  accept  public  office 
hereafter,  but  to  pass  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 
private.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  surest  way  to  preserve 
the  honors  he  so  justly  acquired  during  the  late  war," 

For  a  brief  period  Washington  was  permitted  to 
remain  on  his  estate.  During  this  time  Congress  was 
in  session  first  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  then  at  Trenton, 
New  Jersey,  then  at  New  York  City.  Pennsylvania's 
executive  authority  was  still  in  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council  of  which  Benjamin  Franklin  was  president 
from  1785  to  1787.  But  both  Franklin  and  Washington 

299 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

were  required  in  1787  for  the  sessions  of  the  convention 
called  to  form  a  constitution  for  the  United  States, 
which  was  to  replace  the  loosely  drawn  Articles  of 
Confederation  in  force  since  1781.  On  September 
13  of  that  year  Washington  reached  Gray's  Ferry  in 
his  chaise.  There  he  was  met  by  a  Troop  of  'the  City 
Light  Horse  and  a  large  crowd  of  people,  who  led  him 
into  the  city.  At  once  he  sought  quarters  in  the 
boarding  house  kept  by  Mrs.  Mary  House  at  Fifth 
and  Market  Streets,  but  he  was  not  permitted  to  re- 
main there  more  than  a  few  minutes,  for  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Robert  Morris  called  and  insisted  on  his  going  to  their 
house  on  High  Street,  east  of  Sixth  Street.  From  here, 
during  more  than  four  months,  he  made  almost  daily 
journeys  to  the  State  House,  where  he  sought  "the 
consolidation  of  our  Union." 

To  the  arduous  political  labors  of  that  long  summer 
he  was  obliged  to  add  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
social  engagements.  Almost  every  day  he  went  out 
to  dinner  or  tea,  or  both.  Twice  during  the  summer 
he  had  the  relief  of  going  fishing,  once  near  Valley 
Forge  and  once  at  Trenton.  The  brief  records  of  his 
journeys  to  the  homes  of  friends  who  were  proud  to 
honor  him  are  contained  in  a  small  memorandum  book 
of  seventy-eight  pages,  of  which  thirty-five  are  devoted 
to  the  months  in  Philadelphia.1 

Twelve  days  passed  before  there  was  a  quorum  of 
the  delegates.  Then,  on  motion  of  Robert  Morris, 
Washington  was  made  president  of  the  body.  Franklin 
was  a  regular  attendant.  "I  attended  the  Business 

1This  book  is  in  the  Library  of  Congress  at  Washington. 
300 


IS 


•9 


I" 


ei 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT   TO  WASHINGTON 

of  it  five  Hours  every  Day  from  the  Beginning,"  he 
wrote  to  his  sister. 

During  the  weeks  of  that  summer  there  was  great 
interest  on  the  part  of  Philadelphia  in  the  momentous 
work  going  on  in  the  State  House,  and  there  was  great 
rejoicing  on  September  17  when  the  body  completed 
its  labors,  labors  of  which  Samuel  W.  Pennypacker 
said,  in  his  Washington's  Birthday  address  in  1902: 

"From  that  box,  drawn,  as  it  were,  by  unwitting 
fishermen  out  of  the  sea  of  uncertainties  and  perplex- 
ities, came  forth  a  genie  whose  stride  is  from  ocean  to 
ocean;  whose  locks,  shaken  upon  one  side  by  Eurus, 
on  the  other  by  Zephyr,  darken  the  skies;  and  whose 
voice  is  heard  in  far  Cathay  and  beyond  Ultima  Thule." 

The  completion  of  the  constitution  and  its  adoption 
by  ten  of  the  United  States  was  celebrated  on  July  4, 
1788,  by  what  The  American  Museum  called  "a  great 
federal  procession."  And  it  was  a  great  affair,  far 
surpassing  in  extent  and  magnificence  anything  of 
the  kind  the  city  had  known. 

The  dawn  of  the  day  was  greeted  by  "a  full  peal 
from  Christ  Church  steeple,  and  a  discharge  of  cannon 
from  the  ship  Rising  Sun,  which  was  anchored  off 
Market  Street."  "Ten  vessels,  in  honor  of  the  ten 
states  of  the  Union,  were  dressed  and  arranged  thro' 
the  whole  length  of  the  harbor,"  the  contemporary 
account  continued.  Each  ship  flew  at  the  masthead  a 
white  flag  on  which  was  emblazoned  the  name  of  the 
state  represented  by  that  ship. 

But  the  great  procession  was  the  event  of  the  day. 
This  was  made  up  of  eighty-eight  distinct  parts  or 
floats.  First  came  twelve  axe-men  dressed  in  white 

301 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

frocks,  with  black  girdles,  Then  there  were,  at  inter- 
vals, companies  of  the  City  Troop,  horsemen  who  bore 
banners  with  the  dates  of  the  original  Independence 
Day,  of  the  coming  of  the  French  allies,  of  the  defini- 
tive treaty  of  peace  with  Great  Britain,  and  of  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Constitution.  Richard  Bache,  on  horse- 
back, attended  by  a  herald,  proclaimed  the  new  era. 
The  Constitution  was  represented  by  Chief  Justice 
McKean,  and  his  associates,  in  their  robes  of  office, 
who  rode  in  a  car  in  the  form  of  an  eagle,  drawn  by 
six  horses.  The  citizens  represented  the  ratifying 
states.  Other  United  States  and  city  officers  followed. 
A  citizen  and  an  Indian  chief  were  seated  in  a  carriage, 
smoking  the  calumet  of  peace  together.  The  new 
federal  edifice  was  represented  by  a  float  drawn  by 
ten  white  horses,  on  which  was  a  structure  supported 
by  thirteen  Corinthian  columns,  the  frieze  being  decora- 
ted with  thirteen  stars;  ten  of  the  columns  were  com- 
plete, while  three  were  imperfect.  The  Federal  ship 
Union,  mounting  twenty  guns,  thirty-three  feet  long, 
was  built  up  from  the  barge  which  formerly  belonged 
to  Serapis  the  ship  which  was  defeated  by  the  Bon 
Homme  Richard  under  Captain  John  Paul  Jones. 
Foreign  diplomats  and  representatives  of  the  trades 
and  professions  completed  the  spectacular  pageant. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention  which  this  pageant  celebrated,  Washington 
left  Philadelphia  for  the  South,  again  hoping  to  enjoy 
the  freedom  of  the  life  on  his  lands  on  the  banks  of 
the  Potomac.  But  the  country  called  him  to  be  the 
first  President  under  the  Constitution  which  he  had 
helped  to  formulate,  and  so,  early  in  1789,  he  passed 
302 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT   TO  WASHINGTON 

once  again  through  the  city  by  the  Delaware.  His 
friends  there  were  reluctant  to  see  him  go  to  New  York, 
which  was  to  be  the  capital  fora  year;  Robert  Morris 
and  Benjamin  Franklin,  John  Penii  and  General 
Mifflin,  Benjamin  Chew  and  John  Ross,  Thomas 
Willing  and  William  Brigham,  and  scores  of  others  were 
eager  to  renew  the  round  of  dinners  that  had  made  the 
convention  months  such  a  notable  time  in  the  city's 
social  history. 

;  Less  than  three  months  later  Mrs.  Washington, 
or  Lady  Washington,  as  many  persisted  in  calling 
her,  followed  her  husband  to  New  York.  On  Friday, 
May  22,  the  two  troops  of  Light  Horse,  accompanied 
by  the  Governor  of  the  State,  the  Speaker  of  the  As- 
sembly, and  many  others  went  to  a  point  near  Darby 
to  meet  her.  Mrs.  Robert  Morris  with  a  company  of 
ladies  in  carriages  joined  the  escort  there.  When  Mrs. 
Washington  arrived  all  went  to  Gray's  Garden  for 
luncheon.  In  the  party  were  Governor  Thomas  Mifflin, 
Judge  Richard  Peters,  Temple  Franklin,  Benjamin 
Chew,  Jr.,  Robert  Morris,  Jr.,  William  Morris,  Richard 
Bache,  John  Ross,  Robert  Hare,  George  Harrison, 
Samuel  Meredith,  Captain  Miles,  thirty-nine  "gen- 
tlemen troopers,"  a  number  of  Continental  officers, 
as  well  as  twenty  ladies.  The  bill  of  expenses  for  the 
luncheon  shows  that  that  company  consumed  ten 
bottles  of  Madeira  wine,  one  bottle  of  champagne,  two 
bottles  of  claret,  forty-five  bowls  of  punch,  ten  bottles 
of  American  porter,  one  bottle  of  ale,  and  two  bottles 
of  crab  cider. 

When   the   company   reached   High  Street,  Mrs. 
Washington  was  greeted  by  the  ringing  of  bells,  the 

303 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

discharge  of  thirteen  guns,  and  the  shouts  of  great 
crowds  of  people. 

Mrs.  Washington  remained  in  Philadelphia  over 
Sunday.  Then,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Morris,  she 
proceeded  to  New  York.  There,  on  May  29,  at  the 
opening  levee,  Mrs.  Morris  occupied  first  place  on  the 
right  of  the  hostess.  This  position  of  honor  was  accorded 
her  whenever  she  was  present  at  a  similar  function, 
either  in  New  York  or  Philadelphia. 

There  was  joy  in  Philadelphia  when  it  was  learned 
that  the  capital  was  to  be  removed  for  a  season  from 
New  York  to  the  city  where  the  Constitution  was  born. 
Eagerly  preparations  were  made  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  Congress  and  other  bodies.  The  building 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixth  and  Chestnut  Streets 
was  devoted  to  the  use  of  Congress,  and  ever  since  has 
been  known  as  Congress  Hall.  The  Supreme  Court 
met  in  a  building  at  Fifth  and  Chestnut  Streets. 

Vice  President  Adams  sought  quarters  at  Bush  Hill. 
Mrs.  Adams,  on  November  21,  1790,  wrote  a  letter 
which  gave  a  delightful  picture  of  conditions  as  she 
found  them: 

"Bush  Hill,  as  it  is  called,  though  by  the  way  there 
remains  neither  bush  nor  shrub  upon  it,  and  very  few 
trees,  except  the  pine  grown  behind  it, — yet  Bush  Hill 
is  a  very  interesting  place  .  .  .  The  house  is  better 
furnished  within,  but  when  you  come  to  compare  the 
conveniences  for  storeroom,  kitchen  closets,  etc.,  there 
is  nothing  like  it  in  the  whole  house  .  .  .  When  we 
arrived  in  the  city  we  proceeded  to  the  house.  By 
accident,  the  vessel  with  our  furniture  had  arrived  the 
day  before,  and  Brieslin  was  taking  in  the  first  load 
into  a  house  all  green-painted,  the  workmen  there  with 
304 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

their  brushes  in  hand.  There  was  cold  comfort  in  a 
house,  where  I  suppose  no  fire  had  been  kindled  for 
several  years,  except  in  a  back  kitchen;  but,  as  I  ex- 
pected many  things  of  this  kind,  I  was  not  disappointed 
nor  discomfited.  As  no  wood  nor  fodder  had  been 
provided  beforehand,  we  could  only  turn  about  and  go 
to  the  City  Tavern  for  the  night. 

"The  next  morning  was  pleasant,  and  I  ventured 
to  come  up  and  take  possession;  but  what  confusion! 
Boxes,  barrels,  chairs,  tables,  trunks,  etc.;  everything 
to  be  arranged,  and  few  hands  to  accomplish  it,  for 
Brieslin  was  obliged  to  be  at  the  vessel.  The  first 
object  was  to  get  fire;  the  next  to  get  up  beds;  but  the 
cold,  damp  rooms,  the  new  paint,  etc.,  proved  almost 
too  much  for  me.  On  Friday  we  arrived  here,  and  late 
on  Saturday  evening  we  got  our  furniture  in  ... 
Every  day,  the  stormy  ones  excepted,  from  eleven 
until  three,  the  house  is  filled  with  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
As  all  this  is  no  more  nor  worse  than  I  expected,  I  bear 
it  without  repining  .  .  . 

"I  have  not  yet  began  to  return  visits,  as  the  ladies 
expect  to  find  me  at  home,  and  I  have  not  been  in  a 
state  of  health  to  do  it;  nor  am  I  yet  in  a  very  eligible 
state  to  receive  their  visits.  I,  however,  endeavoured 
to  have  one  room  decent  to  receive  them,  which,  with 
my  own  chamber,  is  as  much  as  I  can  boast  of  at  present 
being  in  tolerable  order  .  .  .  Mrs.  Lear  was  in  to  see 
me  yesterday  and  assures  me  that  I  am  much  better  off 
than  Mrs.  Washington  will  be  when  she  arrives,  for 
that  their  house  is  not  likely  to  be  completed  this  year. 
And,  when  all  is  done,  it  will  not  be  Broadway.  If 
New  York  wanted  any  revenge  for  the  removal,  the 
citizens  might  be  glutted  if  they  would  come  here, 
where  every  article  has  become  almost  double  in  price, 
and  where  it  is  not  possible  for  Congress,  and  its  ap- 
pendages, to  be  half  so  well  accommodate  for  a  long 
time." 

305 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Soon  President  and  Mrs.  Washington  began  to  get 
settled  in  the  home  of  Robert  Morris,  which  had  been 
occupied  by  General  Howe  while  the  commander  of  the 
Colonial  forces  was  at  Valley  Forge.  Mr.  Morris, 
who  had  been  instrumental  in  having  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment removed  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia,  at 
once  offered  his  house  for  the  use  of  the  President, 
and  Washington  gratefully  accepted  this  further  evi- 
dence of  the  devotion  of  one  of  his  closest  friends. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  moved  to  the  house  which  had 
been  confiscated  from  Joseph  Galloway  during  the 
Revolution.  This  had  been  bought  from  the  Supreme 
Executive  Council  since  it  adjoined  the  other  residence. 

The  mansion  occupied  by  the  President  has  been 
described  by  Charles  Henry  Hart  thus: 

"It  was  built  of  brick,  three  stories  high,  and  the 
main  building  was  fifty-five  feet  six  inches  wide  by 
fifty-two  feet  deep,  and  the  kitchen  and  wash  house 
were  twenty-feet  wide  by  fifty-five  deep,  while  the 
stables  would  accommodate  the  twelve  horses.  The 
front  of  the  house  had  four  windows  on  the  second 
and  third  floors,  two  on  either  side  of  the  main  hall, 
and  on  the  first  floor  three  windows  and  a  single  door 
approached  by  three  heavy  grey  stone  steps.  On  each 
side  of  the  house  were  vacant  lots  used  as  a  garden 
and  containing  shrubbery." 

This  property  Mr.  Morris  bought  in  August,  1785. 
At  once  he  rebuilt  the  house,  which  had  been  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1780.  To  it  he  removed  in  1786  from  the 
residence  he  had  long  occupied  on  Front  Street,  below 
Dock. 

In  preparation  for  his  removal  to  his  friends'  house, 
Washington  wrote  to  his  secretary,  Tobias  Lear: 
306 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

"The  house  of  Mr.  Robert  Morris  had,  previous 
to  my  arrival,  been  taken  by  the  corporation  for  my 
residence.  It  is  the  best  they  could  get.  It  is,  I 
believe,  the  best  single  house  in  the  city.  Yet  without 
addition  it  is  inadequate  to  the  commodious  accommo- 
dation of  my  family." 

In  another  letter  he  spoke  of  some  household  ar- 
rangements in  a  way  that  showed  his  intimate  know- 
ledge of  these  things: 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  have  insisted  upon  leaving 
the  two  large  looking-glasses  which  are  in  their  best 
rooms,  because  they  have  no  place,  they  say,  proper  to 
remove  them  to,  and  because  they  are  unwilling  to 
hazzard  taking  them  down.  You  will  therefore  let 
them  have,  instead,  the  choice  of  mine  .  .  .  Mrs. 
Morris  has  a  mangle  (I  think  it  is  called)  for  ironing 
clothes,  which,  as  it  is  fixed  in  the  place  where  it  is 
commonly  used,  she  proposes  to  leave  and  take  mine. 
To  this  I  have  no  objection,  provided  mine  is  equally 
good  and  convenient;  but  if  I  should  obtain  any  advan- 
tage beside  that  of  being  up  and  ready  for  use,  I  am 
not  inclined  to  receive  it  ...  Mrs.  Morris,  who  is  a 
notable  lady  in  family  arrangement,  can  give  you  much 
information  on  all  the  conveniences  about  the  house 
and  buildings,  and  I  dare  say  would  rather  consider  it 
as  a  compliment  to  be  consulted  in  those  matters  .  .  . 
than  a  trouble  to  give  her  opinion  of  them/' 

It  was  November  27,  1790,  when  the  President  and 
Mrs.  Washington  reached  thecity.  At  the  first  levee  given 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  were,  as  usual,  honored  guests. 

During  the  President's  residence  in  Philadelphia 
his  household  accounts  were  carefully  kept  in  the 
handwriting  of  his  secretary.  These  accounts,  which 
are  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Historical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania,  furnish  a  commentary  of  unusal  interest 

307 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

on  the  home  life  of  the  first  man  in  the  nation.  A  few 
items  selected  at  random  may  be  quoted.  It  will  be 
noted  that  sometimes  dollars  and  cents  were  used, 
while  sometimes  the  more  familiar  pounds,  shilling, 
and  pence  were  employed,  the  shilling  being  then 
about  thirteen  cents  in  United  States  money : 

Fred  Kitt,   deliv'd  him  to  pay  his   weekly 

accounts $123.35 

12  Ib.  hair  powder  for  Mrs.  W n 16/ 

Paid  a  man  for  mowing  the  Garden 7/6 

Gave  G.  W.  Custis  to  buy  a  Greek  Grammar.  .37 

8  yds.  Chintz  and  1J4  yds.  Linen 4.84 

Whitewashing  the  house 33.33 

James  Green,  for  five  weeks  services 15.00 

Polly  Glenn,  a  mos.  wages 5.00 

C.  McKay,  2  weeks  working  for  Mrs.  W n,  2.98 

F.  Kitt,  and  wife,  wages 50.00 

Cask  of  lamp  oil 54.93 

Castor  oil  for  Oney .50 

One  year's  rent  of  house 1333.33 

30  cords  of  wood,  cordage,  etc 321.71 

Hauling  wood2 20 

Gave  a  man  who  had  a  very  sagacious  dog,  for 

the  family  to  see  his  performance $3.00 

2  phials  best  ink .50 

Hats  furnished  the  President's  Household 31.84 

Postage  of  a  letter  to  printers  at  Winchester, 

(Virginia) .27 

Paid  for  President  to  see  Elephant 1.75 

An  entry  made  on  April  1,  1793,  shows  that  ten 
regular  servants  were  employed  in  the  establishment, 
one  at  $75  a  month,  one  at  $33.33,  one  at  $20,  one  at 
$21,  one  at  $11,  and  five  at  $10  each. 

2  This  was  on  October  2;  before  the  close  of  November  fifty  more 
cords  of  wood  were  bought. 
308 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

Mrs.  Washington  was  a  careful  housekeeper.  She 
always  kept  her  hand  on  the  helm.  On  occasion  she 
could  do  everything  necessary  to  make  a  comfortable 
home.  She  was  a  good  cook,  and  one  of  her  treasured 
possessions  was  a  "Book  of  Cookery,"  in  manuscript, 
which  contained  more  than  five  hundred  and  fifty 
recipes,  carefully  indexed.  While  most  of  these  were 
in  the  handwriting  of  the  great  grandmother  of  Eleanor 
Parke  Custis,  to  whom  the  book  descended,  Mrs. 
Washington's  notes  are  scattered  through  the  pages. 
From  the  manuscript,  now  in  the  Historical  Library 
of  Pennsylvania,  a  sample  recipe  is  copied : 

To  MAKE  A  FRYKECY 

"Take  2  Chicken,  or  a  hare,  kill  &  flaw  them  hot, 
take  out  theyr  intrills  &  wipe  them  within,  Cut  them 
in  pieces  and  break  theyr  bones  with  a  pestle,  yn  put 
half  a  pound  of  butter  into  ye  frying  pan,  &  fry  it  till  it 
be  browne,  yn  put  in  ye  chickin  &  give  it  a  walme  or 
tow,  yn  put  in  half  a  pint  of  faire  water  well  seasoned 
with  pepper  and  salt  &  a  little[?]  put  in  a  handful  of 
parsley,  &  time,  &  an  onion,  shred  all  small  fry  all  these 
together  till  they  be  enough,  &  when  it  is  ready  to  be 
dished  up  put  into  ye  pan  ye  youlks  of  5  or  6  eggs,  well 
beaten  and  mixed  wth  a  little  wine  vinegar  or  joice  of 
Leamons,  stir  them  well  together  least  it  curdle  yn  dish 
it  up  without  any  more  frying." 

Other  recipes  told  how  "To  dress  a  dish  of  Mush- 
ruinps,"  "To  mak  a  lettis  tart,"  "To  mak  an  Harti- 
choak  Pie,"  "To  mak  a  Cold  Posset  or  Sullibub." 

The  home  of  the  President  and  Mrs.  Washington 
became  noted  for  generous  hospitality.  One  of  the 
guests  who  was  welcomed  there,  Henry  Wansey,  an 
English  manufacturer,  wrote  of  his  experience  on  June 

309 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

6,  1794,  when,  after  presenting  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  the  President,  he  was  invited  to  take  breakfast 
with  the  family: 

"I  was  struck  with  awe  and  admiration,  when  I 
recollected  that  I  was  now  in  the  presence  of  one  of  the 
greatest  men  upon  earth,  the  great  Washington,  the 
noble  and  wise  benefactor  of  the  world!  As  Mirabeau 
styles  him; — the  advocate  of  human  nature — the 
friend  of  both  worlds.  Whether  we  view  him  as  a  general 
in  the  field,  vested  with  unlimited  authority  and  power, 
at  the  head  of  a  victorious  army;  or  in  the  Cabinet,  as 
the  President  of  the  United  States;  or  as  a  private 
gentleman,  cultivating  his  own  farm;  he  is  still  the 
same  great  man,  anxious  only  to  discharge  with  pro- 
priety the  duties  of  his  relative  situation.  His  conduct 
has  always  been  so  uniformly  manly,  honorable,  just, 
patriotic,  and  disinterested,  that  his  greatest  enemies 
cannot  fix  on  any  one  trait  of  his  character  that  can 
deserve  the  least  censure.  .  .  . 

"Mrs.  Washington  herself  made  tea  and  coffee  for 
us.  On  the  table  were  two  small  plates  of  sliced  tongue, 
dry  toast,  bread  and  butter,  &c.  but  no  broiled  fish,  as  is 
the  general  custom.  Miss  Custis,  her  grand-daughter,  a 
very  pleasing  young  lady,  of  about  sixteen,  sat  next  to 
her,  and  her  brother  George  Washington  Custis,  about 
two  years  older  than  herself.  There  was  but  little 
appearance  of  form;  one  servant  only  attended,  who 
had  no  livery;  a  silver  urn  for  hot  water,  was  the  only 
article  of  expense  on  the  table." 

The  young  people  of  the  President's  household,  as 
well  as  their  elders,  were  fond  of  going  to  the  theatre. 
There  are  many  entries  in  the  household  account  book 
telling  of  the  purchase  of  tickets,  while  more  than  once 
there  appears  the  charge  for  a  "box  at  the  New 

Theatre." 

310 


THE  HOUSE   INTENDED   FOR  THE   PRESIDENT  OF  THE   UNITED   STATES, 

ON   NINTH    STREET 
(From  the  engraving  by  Birch) 


CONGRESS    HALL    AND    THE    NEW    THEATRE    IN    CHESTNUT    STREET 
(From  an  engraving  by  Birch) 


DOORWAY    OF    244    SOUTH    EIGHTH    STREET 


THE    OLD    PUMP    AT    THE    CHEW    HOUSE,    GERMANTOWN 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT   TO  WASHINGTON 

A  letter  written  by  Ezekiel  Forman  to  Dr.  John  Rock- 
hill  on  March  25,  1793,  told  of  this  play  house,  which 
was  opened  on  Monday  evening,  the  17th  of  February, 
"with  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  numerous  audi- 
ences I  ever  beheld  on  a  similar  occasion — the  stated 
days  or  rather  evenings  of  performance  are  Monday, 
Wednesday  &  Friday  Nights  in  every  week  and  some- 
times occasionally  Saturday  evenings — the  doors  open 
at  five — the  curtain  draws  up  at  six,  exhibition  is 
commonly  finished  at  twelve  O'clock." 

Henry  Wansey  gave  a  fuller  description  of  the  thea- 
ter and  of  the  people  who  went  there: 

"It  is  an  elegant  and  convenient  theatre,  as  large  as 
that  of  Covent  Garden,  and,  to  judge  from  the  dress 
and  appearance  of  the  company  around  me,  and  the 
actors  and  scenery,  I  should  have  thought  I  had  still 
been  in  England.  The  ladies  wore  the  small  bonnets  of 
the  same  fashion  as  those  I  saw  when  I  left  England, 
some  of  chequered  straw,  &c.,  some  with  their  hair 
full  dressed,  without  caps,  as  with  us,  and  very  few  in 
the  French  style.  The  younger  ladies  with  their  hair 
flowing  in  ringlets  on  their  shoulders.  The  gentlemen 
with  round  hats,  their  coats  with  high  collars,  and  cut 
quite  in  the  English  fasshion,  and  many  in  silk  striped 
coats.  The  scenery  of  the  stage  excellent,  particularly 
a  view  on  the  Skuylkill,  about  two  miles  from  the  city 
.  The  motto  over  the  stage  is  novel: — 'The  Eagle 
suffers  little  birds  to  sing/  Thereby  hangs  a  tale. 
When  it  was  in  contemplation  to  build  this  Theatre,  it 
was  strongly  opposed  by  the  Quakers,  who  used  all 
their  influence  with  Congress  to  prevent  it,  as  tending 
to  corrupt  the  manners  of  the  people,  and  increase  too 
much  the  love  of  pleasure.  It  was,  however,  at  length 
carried,  and  this  motto  from  Shakspear  was  chosen. 
It  is  applicable  in  another  sense;  for  the  State  House, 

311 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

where  Congress  sits,  is  directly  opposite  to  it,  both 
being  in  Chestnut  street,  and  both  houses  are  often 
performing  at  the  same  time.  Yet  the  Eagle  (the  em- 
blem adopted  by  the  American  government)  is  no  way 
interrupted  by  the  chattering  of  the  mock  birds  with 
their  minor  songs." 

The  President  and  his  household  were  especially 
interested  in  a  performance  given  for  the  benefit  of 
seamen  from  the  port  of  Philadelphia  who  were  in 
captivity  in  Algiers,  having  been  taken  there  by 
pirates.  At  this  time,  and  for  some  years  afterward, 
there  was  great  excitement  in  the  city  because  of  the 
depredations  of  the  pirates,  as  well  as  because  of  the 
privateers  of  Great  Britain,  which  captured  vessels 
on  any  pretext. 

The  anger  caused  by  these  trying  acts  of  a  power 
with  which  the  country  was  at  peace  was  very  great. 
Lord  Lyndhurst,  an  Englishman  who  visited  the  city 
in  1796,  wrote  to  his  mother  that  feeling  still  ran  high, 
and  said  that  he  feared  a  war  with  England  was  sure 
to  result,  since  there  was  a  conflict  between  the  Presi- 
dent and  the  Senate,  and  the  Lower  House,  which  did 
not  wish  to  see  the  ratification  of  the  proposed  treaty 
with  England.  "The  Opposition  here  are  a  set  of 
villains,"  the  young  Englishman  insisted. 

At  this  period  Philadelphia  contained  about  fifty 
thousand  people.  Samuel  Breck,who  came  to  the 
city  in  1792,  wrote  in  1842  that  there  was  at  the  earlier 
date  as  much  society  of  elegant  and  stylish  people  as  at 
the  later  time,  when  the  city  had  270,000  population. 
"There  was  more  attention  paid  then  to  the  dress  of 
servants  and  general  appearance  of  equipage,"  he  added. 
312 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

"Dinners  were  got  up  in  elegance  and  good  taste. 
General  Washington  had  a  stud  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
horses,  and  occasionally  rode  out  to  take  the  air  with 
six  horses  to  the  coach,  and  always  two  footmen  be- 
hind his  carriage." 

Another  writer  of  the  day  says  that  the  inhabitants 
then  "indulged  themselves  in  the  gratification  of  luxury 
and  dissipation  .  .  .  The  streets  were  crowded  by  the 
gay  carriages  of  pleasure,  going  and  returning  in  every 
direction;  new  and  elegant  buildings  were  seen  rising 
in  every  quarter."  The  port  "was  thronged  with  ship- 
ping from  every  trading  country  in  Europe,  and  both 
the  Indies;  like  Tyre  of  old  "her  merchants  were  princes 
and  her  traffickers  were  the  honourable  of  the  earth." 

Perhaps  the  greatest  display  of  wealth  was  made 
by  William  Binghan,  of  whom  Breck  wrote  in  his 
Recollections : 

"I  was  often  at  his  parties,  at  which  each  guest 
was  announced;  first,  at  the  entrance  door  his  name 
was  called  aloud,  and  taken  up  by  a  servant  on  the 
stairs,  who  passed  it  on  to  the  man  in  waiting  at  the 
drawing-room  door.  In  this  drawing-room  the  furni- 
ture was  superb  Gobelin,  and  the  folding  doors  were 
covered  with  mirrors,  which  reflected  the  figures  of  the 
company  so  as  to  deceive  an  untravelled  countryman, 
who  having  been  paraded  up  the  marble  stairway  amid 
the  echo  of  his  name  .  .  .  would  enter  the  brilliant 
apartment  and  salute  the  looking-glasses  instead  of  the 
master  and  mistress  of  the  house  and  their  guests. 

"This  silly  fashion  of  announcing  by  name  did  not 
last  long,  and  was  put  a  stop  to  by  the  following  ridic- 
ulous occurrence:  On  a  gala-evening  an  eminent 
physician,  Dr.  Kuhn,  and  his  stepdaughter  [Miss 
Peggy  Markoe,  who  soon  afterward  married  Benjamin 

313 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Franklin  Bache,  grandson  of  Dr.  Franklin]  drove  up  to 
the  door.  A  servant  asked  who  was  in  the  carriage. 
"The  doctor  and  Miss  Peggy,"  was  the  reply.  "The 
doctor  and  Miss  Peggy!"  cried  out  the  man  stationed 
at  the  door.  "The  doctor  and  Miss  Peggy!"  bawled 
out  he  of  the  stairs,  which  was  taken  up  by  the  liveried 
footman  at  the  door  of  the  drawing-room  into  which 
Miss  Peggy  and  her  papa  entered  amid  the  laugh  and 
jokes  of  the  company  .  .  . 

"There  is  too  much  sobriety  in  our  American  com- 
mon sense  to  tolerate  such  pageantry,  or  indeed  any 
outlandish  fashion  contrary  to  the  plain,  unvarnished 
manners  of  the  people.  Thus  have  the  repeated 
attempts  of  our  young  dandies  to  introduce  the  mous- 
tache on  the  upper  lip  been  frustrated,  and  so  with 
the  broadcloth  gaiters  and  other  foreign  costumes." 

Henry  Wansey,  after  paying  a  visit  to  the  Bingham 
house,  wrote: 

"I  dined  this  day  with  Mr.  Bingham.  I  found  a 
magnificent  house  and  garden  in  the  best  English  style, 
with  elegant  and  even  superb  furniture;  the  chairs  of 
the  drawing  room  were  from  Siddon's  in  London,  of 
the  newest  fashion;  the  back  in  the  form  of  a  lyre, 
adorned  with  festoons  of  crimson  and  yellow  silk,  the 
curtain  of  the  room  a  festoon  of  the  same;  the  carpet  of 
the  Moore's  most  expensive  pattern;  the  room  was 
papered  in  the  French-taste,  after  the  style  of  the 
Vatican  at  Rome.  In  the  garden  was  a  profusion  of 
lemon,  orange  and  citrus  trees;  and  many  aloes,  and 
other  exotics  .  .  .  Mr.  Bingham  told  me,  that  in  the 
year  1783,  he  bought  a  piece  of  land  adjoining  to  Phil- 
adelphia for  eight  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  which 
now  yields  him  eight  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  per 
annum,  andhehas  neverlaidout  twenty  pounds  upon  it." 

Thomas  Twining,  another  Englishman,  who  visited 
the  Bingham  mansion  in  1795,  spoke  of  it  as  the  finest 
314 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT   TO  WASHINGTON 

house  in  the  city,  and  of  its  owner  as  "the  principal 
man  in  Philadelphia  and  the  wealthiest,  probably, 
in  the  Union." 

In  great  contrast  to  the  stiff  formality  of  the 
Bingham  establishment  were  the  homelike  surround- 
ings of  the  Morrises,  who  were  among  the  social  leaders 
of  the  city  during  the  residence  of  Washington  there. 
"There  was  a  luxury  in  the  kitchen,  table,  parlor  and 
street  equipage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  that  was  to 
be  found  nowhere  else  in  America,"  Breck  wrote, 
enthusiastically.  "Bingham's  was  more  gaudy,  but 
less  comfortable.  It  was  the  pure  and  unalloyed  which 
the  Morrises  sought  to  place  before  their  friends  with- 
out the  abatements  that  so  frequently  accompany 
the  displays  of  fashionable  life.  No  badly-cooked  or 
cold  dinners  at  their  table;  no  pinched  fires  upon  the 
hearth;  no  paucity  of  waiters;  no  awkward  loons  in 
their  drawing  rooms.  We  have  no  such  establishments 


now." 


Gayety  was  added  to  Philadelphia's  life  by  the 
presence  of  many  of  the  great  men  of  France  who  had 
been  driven  abroad  by  the  Revolution  in  their  own 
country.  Talleyrand,  Vicomte  de  Noailles,  the  Due 
de  Liancourt,  and  the  Dues  de  Montpensier  and 
Beaujolais,  and  the  Bishop  of  Autun,  were  at  this  time 
attracted  to  the  city  where  Lafayette  had  been  wel- 
comed more  than  fifteen  years  before,  when  America 
was  in  the  midst  of  its  Revolution. 

The  refugees  were  received  hi  the  city  with  open 
arms  and  hearty  sympathy.  There  were  many  who 
longed  to  see  the  country  take  some  active  part  with 
those  in  France  who  were  struggling  for  liberty,  though 

315 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

there  was  great  difference  of  opinion  as  to  what  should 
be  done.  This  fact  is  illustrated  by  the  minutes  of  the 
meeting  of  the  Democratic  Society,  held  on  January 
9,  1794.  Among  the  members  was  Citizen  David 
Rittenhouse  and  Citizen  Charles  Biddle.  The  titles 
given  to  the  members  were  an  indication  of  strong  sym- 
pathy with  those  in  France  who  had  deposed  their  king. 
That  day  resolutions  were  adopted  which  sound  much 
as  if  they  were  the  product  of  some  modern  society, 
proposed  with  the  Great  War  in  Europe  in  mind: 

"Resolved,  that  we  view  with  inexpressible  horror 
the  cruel  and  unjust  war  carried  on  by  the  combined 
powers  of  Europe  against  the  french  republic — that 
attached  to  the  french  Nation  (our  only  true  and  Nat- 
ural ally)  by  Sentiments  of  the  liveliest  gratitude,  for  the 
great  and  generous  service  she  has  rendered  us,  while 
we  were  struggling  for  our  liberties,  and  by  that  strong 
conviction  which  arises  from  a  similarity  of  government 
and1*  of  political  principles,  we  cannot  sit  passive 
and  forbear  expressing  our  anxious  concern  while  she 
is  greatly  contending  against  a  World,  for  the  same 
rights  which  she  assisted  us  to  establish  .  .  .  We 
cannot  believe  that  they  are  making  war  against  that 
Nation  Solely,  but  against  liberty  itself.  Impressed 
with  this  idea  we  cannot  help  concluding  that  if  those 
lawless  despots  succeed  in  destroying  an  enemy  in 
france  so  formenable  to  their  tyraniccal  usurpations, 
they  will  not  rest  satisfied  untill  they  have  exterminated 
it  from  the  earth.  .  .  . 

"Resolved,  that  while  America  holds  out  the  olive 
branch,  and  sincerely  wishes  to  persevere  in  a  pacific 
line  of  conduct,  the  world  ought  to  be  convinced,  that 
she  knows  her  rights,  and  that  the  same  spirit  which 
she  has  shewn  in  the  acquisition  of  her  Independence 
will  be  exerted  with  double  energy  in  its  defence." 
316 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT   TO   WASHINGTON 

President  Rittenhouse  was  absent  when  the  paper 
was  adopted,  and  when  he  was  asked  to  sign  it  he 
offered  his  resignation,  though  he  expressed  cordial 
approval. 

A  different  attitude  to  the  French  Revolution  was 
taken  by  "the  notorious  William  Cobbett,"  an  English- 
man in  the  city  who  kept  a  bookstore  and  published  a 
rather  scurrilous  daily  newspaper  called  Peter  Porcupine. 
"The  journal  was  anti-republican  in  its  politics,  but, 
being  conducted  with  extraordinary  spirit  and  ability, 
was  widely  circulated,"  the  gossipy  Breck  wrote. 
"It  was  rancorous  and  malignant  in  the  extreme  against 
the  French  Revolution  and  all  the  enemies  of  England. 
...  The  hatred  engendered  by  the  long  contest  for 
an  independence  against  England  was  not  at  all  abated, 
notwithstanding  the  lapse  of  ten  years,  since  peace 
took  place,  so  that  the  foaming  rage  of  this  avowed 
Englishman  who  affected  to  despise  us  and  our  insti- 
tutions, and  ridiculed  with  surprising  dexterity  most 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  nation,  helped  to  widen  the 
breach  which  threatened  to  end  in  open  war.  The  Eng- 
lish flag  was  not  safe  in  our  river,  and  when  it  appeared 
there  was  generally  the  occasion  of  disturbance  which 
required  the  influence  of  government  to  quiet." 

At  length  Cobbett's  pen  brought  him  into  the 
courts.  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  sued  him  because  of  an 
attack  on  his  professional  skill,  and  the  Englishman 
was  ordered  to  pay  five  thousand  dollars  damages 
and  costs.  English  friends  in  Philadelphia,  in  Canada 
and  in  England  raised  the  money  for  him  and  he  paid 
the  award  in  full.  Then  he  left  the  city  and,  soon 
afterward,  the  country. 

317 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

Philadelphia's  friendliness  for  the  French  did  not 
keep  them  from  sneering  at  L'Enfant,  the  French 
architect  who,  late  in  the  decade,  helped  to  plunge 
Robert  Morris  deeper  into  the  debt  that  was  so  soon 
to  overwhelm  him,  by  extravagance  in  planning  and 
building  the  new  residence  of  the  financier  which  be- 
came known  as  "Morris's  Folly."  The  architect  was 
called  a  visionary  and  Philadelphians  seemed  to  make 
up  their  minds  that  any  French  architect  was  to  be 
looked  on  with  suspicion. 

One  needs  but  to  read  the  description  of  the  un- 
finished house,  as  given  by  Benjamin  Henry  Latrobe 
in  his  Journal,  to  appreciate  the  attitude  of  the  people 
to  L'Enfant: 

"I  suppose  the  front  must  be  at  least  one  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  long,  and  I  think  the  flank  cannot  be 
less  than  sixty  .  .  .  The  windows,  at  least  some  of 
them  .  .  .  are  cased  in  white  marble  with  moldings, 
entablatures,  architraves,  and  sculpture  mixed  up  in 
the  oddest  and  most  inelegant  manner  imaginable;  all 
the  proportions  are  bad,  all  the  horizontal  and  perpen- 
dicular lines  broken  to  pieces,  the  whole  mass  giving 
the  ideas  of  the  reign  of  Louis  XIII  in  France  of  James 
I  in  England.  .  .  .  There  is  a  recess,  across  which  a 
colonnade  of  one-story  columns  was  intended,  the  two 
lateral  ones  being  put  up,  with  a  piece  of  their  archi- 
trave reaching  to  the  wall;  I  cannot  guess  what  was 
intended  above  them.  ...  In  the  south  front  are 
two  angle  porches.  The  angle  porches  are  irresistibly 
laughable  things,  and  violently  ugly." 

The  remainder  of  the  account  contains  such  strong 
expressions  as  "they  look  horrible,"  "such  a  madness," 
"wretched  sculpture,"  "of  the  worst  taste."    Finally 
318 


William    Cobbett 


THE    EDITOR    OF    "PETER    PORCUPINE 


II  I  U 


ROBERT    MORRIS  S    UNFINISHED    HOUSE 
(From  the  engraving  by  Birch) 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

it  was  said:  "It  is  impossible  to  decide  which  of  the  two 
is  the  madder,  the  architect  or  his  employer.  Both 
of  them  have  been  ruined  by  it  ...  This  is  the 
house  of  which  I  had  frequently  been  told  in  Virginia 
that  it  was  the  handsomest  thing  in  America." 

In  1798  Latrobe  came  to  Philadelphia  from  Wash- 
ington, on  the  invitation  of  the  president  of  the  Bank  of 
Philadelphia,  who  desired  him  to  supervise  the  erection 
of  the  new  bank  building.  To  the  people  of  the  city 
the  name  Latrobe  seemed  French,  and  they  were  ready 
to  pounce  on  him  for  anything  that  seemed  visionary. 
This  opportunity  came,  they  thought,  when  the  ar- 
chitect, after  studying  the  water  supply  of  the  city, 
began  to  talk  about  water  works.  He  looked  with 
disfavor  on  the  range  of  pumps  to  be  found  in  every 
street,  close  to  the  footpaths,  from  which  all  the  water 
for;  drinking  or  cooking  was  drawn.  These,  he  felt, 
was  largely  responsible  for  the  repeated  epidemics  of 
yellow  fever. 

The  remedy  suggested  by  Latrobe  was  the  bringing 
to  the  city  of  water  from  the  Schuylkill,  by  means  of 
pumps, water  mains  laid  under  the  streets,  and  hydrants. 
Naturally,  since  no  other  city  in  America  had  made 
trial  of  this  plan,  Latrobe  was  spoken  of  as  a  dreamer, 
another  L'Enfant.  But  he  persisted  in  the  face  of 
ridicule,  secured  his  appropriation,  built  his  engine 
and  pumping  stations,  laid  his  pipes  of  hollowed-out 
cedar  logs,  planted  his  hydrants,  and  made  ready  to 
turn  on  the  water. 

Then  the  people  learned  their  mistake.  One  night 
in  January,  1801,  the  hydrants  were  left  open.  At 
midnight,  in  company  with  three  friends,  and  one  of 

319 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

his  workmen,  Latrobe  went  to  the  water  works,  built 
a  fire  under  the  boiler,  and  set  the  machinery  in  motion. 
In  the  morning  the  surprised  citizens  found  the  streets 
covered  deep  with  water  from  the  hydrants,  which 
were  still  pouring  out  the  flood  from  the  Schuylkill. 
Then  they  owned  their  error.  Latrobe  was  not  a 
dreamer  after  all! 

Some  of  the  pumps  that  made  Latrobe  shudder  were 
outside  the  city  gaol,  on  Walnut  Street,  and  the  in- 
mates were  supplied  from  them  with  water  for  the 
carrying  out  of  the  first  of  the  regulations  provided 
for  their  government: 

"The  prisoners  shall  be  furnished  with  suitable 
bedding,  shall  be  shaved  twice  a  week,  their  hair  cut 
once  a  month,  change  their  linen  once  a  week,  and 
regularly  wash  their  face  and  hands  every  morning." 

The  yard  of  the  gaol  was  the  scene  of  one  of  the 
spectacular  incidents  of  the  period  of  Washington's 
residence  in  Philadelphia.  On  January  9,  1793,  the 
French  aeronaut  Blanchard  made  there  the  first  balloon 
ascension  in  America.  Washington  and  all  the  leading 
men  of  the  city  were  interested,  most  of  them  having 
contributed  to  the  expense  of  preparing  the  balloon. 
Just  before  the  ascent  the  President  handed  to  the 
aeronaut  a  passport  which  could  be  shown  to  anyone 
who,  being  unfamiliar  with  a  balloon,  might  offer  to 
do  the  man  harm.  The  document  authorized  him 
"to  pass  in  such  direction  and  to  descend  in  such  a 
place  as  circumstance  may  render  most  convenient." 
The  balloon  rose  majestically,  floated  across  the  Dela- 
ware, and  came  down  near  Gloucester.  Jonathan 
Penrose,  Robert  Wharton,  and  a  number  of  other 

320 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

Philadelphians,  followed  on  their  horses  and  brought 
the  aeronaut  in  triumph  back  to  the  city. 

One  of  those  who  was  most  interested  in  the  as- 
cension was  David  Rittenhouse,  the  scientist,  who,  ten 
years  earlier,  had  persuaded  a  carpenter  to  ascend  in  a 
balloon.  This  ascent  was  unsuccessful,  probably  more 
because  of  the  timidity  of  the  carpenter  than  for 
any  other  reason. 

Rittenhouse  was  more  successful  as  a  government 
official  than  as  an  aeronaut.  As  the  first  director  of 
the  United  States  Mint  he  conducted  the  institution 
with  great  efficiency  and  economy.  His  estimate  of 
expense  for  the  first  quarter  of  1795  showed  that  he 
proposed  to  run  the  institution  for  a  little  more  than 
six  thousand  dollars. 

As  Washington's  second  term  drew  toward  a  close 
there  was  some  clamour  for  his  election  for  a  third 
term,  and  many  of  the  people  of  Philadelphia  hoped 
he  would  yield.  But  the  President  thought  this  would 
be  unwise,  both  for  his  own  sake  and  for  that  of  the 
country.  One  day  in  September,  1796,  he  sent  for 
D.  C.  Claypoole,  descendant  of  the  James  Claypoole 
who  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1683,  the  editor  of 
Claypoole's  Daily  Advertiser.  Then  he  told  the  editor 
of  his  intention  to  retire  from  public  life,  and  asked 
him  to  publish  hi  the  paper  an  address  to  the  people 
giving  some  of  the  President's  "Thoughts  and  Re- 
flections" on  the  occasion.  This  document,  printed 
on  September  19,  1796,  was  the  Valedictory  Address 
which  added  to  Washington's  fame  and  to  the  love 
and  reverence  of  the  people  for  him. 

The  day  came  when,  in  accordance  with  Washing- 

321 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

ton's  wish,  the  Electoral  College  chose  another  to  be 
the  head  of  the  nation.  John  Adams,  on  whom  the 
choice  fell  by  a  close  vote,  wrote  to  his  wife  on  the  day 
after  his  inauguration : 

"Your  dearest  friend  never  had  a  more  trying  day 
than  yesterday.  A  solemn  scene  it  was  indeed,  and  it 
was  made  yet  more  affecting  to  me  by  the  presence  of 
the  General,  whose  countenance  was  as  serene  and 
unclouded  as  the  day.  He  seemed  to  me  to  enjoy  a 
triumph  over  me.  Methought  I  heard  him  say,  'Ay! 
I  am  fairly  out  and  you  fairly  in!  See  which  of  us  will 
be  happiest!'  When  the  ceremony  was  over,  he  came 
and  made  me  a  visit,  and  cordially  congratulated  me, 
and  wish  my  administration  might  be  happy,  suc- 
cessful and  honorable." 

Just  after  taking  the  oath  of  office,  President  Adams 
received  from  Mrs.  Adams  a  letter  of  unusual  power 
and  tenderness: 

"You  have  this  day  to  declare  yourself  head  of  a 
nation.  'And  now,  O  Lord,  my  God,  thou  hast  made 
thy  servant  ruler  over  the  people.  Give  unto  him 
an  understanding  heart,  that  he  may  know  how  to  go 
out  and  come  in  before  this  great  people;  that  he  may 
discern  between  good  and  bad.  For  who  is  able  to 
judge  this  thy  so  great  a  people?'  were  the  words  of  a 
royal  sovereign;  and  not  less  applicable  to  him  who  is 
invested  with  the  chief  magistracy  of  a  nation,  though 
he  wear  not  a  crown,  nor  the  robes  of  royalty. 

"My  thought  and  my  meditation  are  with  you, 
though  personally  absent;  and  my  petitions  to  Heaven 
are,  that  'the  things  that  make  for  peace  may  not  be 
hidden  from  your  eyes/  My  feelings  are  not  those  of 
pride  or  ostentation  upon  this  occasion.  They  are 
solemnized  by  a  sense  of  the  obligations,  the  important 
trusts,  and  numerous  duties  connected  with  it.  That 
322 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT   TO   WASHINGTON 

you  may  be  enabled  to  discharge  them  with  honour 
to  yourself,  with  justice  and  impartiality  to  your 
country,  and  with  satisfaction  to  this  great  people,  shall 
be  the  daily  prayer  of  your  "A.  A." 

The  President-Elect  was  asked  to  make  his  home 
in  the  fine  house  which  had  been  erected  by  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania  at  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Market 
Streets  in  the  hope  that  the  presentation  of  this  as  an 
Executive  Mansion  would  have  weight  in  reconsidering 
the  plan  to  move  the  Capital  from  Philadelphia  to 
L'Enf  ant's  "City  in  the  Woods."  But  President 
Adams  preferred  to  occupy  the  Morris  mansion  as 
Washington  had  done  before  him. 

The  day  before  the  inauguration  of  his  successor 
Washington  gave  a  farewell  dinner.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mor- 
ris werelpresent.  Bishop  White,  brother  of  Mrs.  Morris, 
was  also  one  of  the  guests.  He  said  afterwards: 

"During  the  dinner  much  hilarity  prevailed;  but 
on  the  removal  of  the  cloth  it  was  put  an  end  to  by  the 
President,  certainly  without  design.  Having  filled  his 
glass,  he  addressed  the  company,  with  a  smile  on  his 
countenance,  saying;  'Ladies  and  gentlemen,  this  is  the 
last  time  I  shall  drink  your  health  as  a  public  man;  I 
do  it  with  sincerity,  wishing  you  all  possible  happiness. 
There  was  an  end  to  all  pleasantry,  and  there  was  not  a 
dry  eye  among  the  company." 

Before  Mr.  Morris  left  the  house  Washington 
gave  him  a  small  profile  portrait  of  himself,  as  a  token 
of  his  friendship.  This  was  a  prized  possession  of  the 
unfortunate  financier  during  the  days  of  his  failure 
and  imprisonment,  disasters  which  came  as  a  result 
of  the  unreliability  and  rascality  of  James  Greenleaf, 
a  partner  in  his  great  land  deals. 

323 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

In  the  country's  history  there  is  not  a  parallel  to 
the  rapid  change  in  the  fortunes  of  the  man  who  was 
in  1797  the  President's  intimate  friend  and  associate, 
a  welcome  guest  in  his  house,  and  within  a  year  was 
languishing  in  a  debtor's  prison,  where,  instead  of  the 
bountiful  table  for  which  his  home  had  been  famous, 
he  would  have  had  to  share  the  diet  laid  down  in  the 
regulations  of  the  institution  but  for  the  care  of  his 
friends  to  make  other  arrangements  for  him.  The 
ordinary  diet  prescribed  in  a  prison  of  the  period  was 
as  follows: 

"On  Sunday,  one  pound  of  bread,  and  one  pound 
of  coarse  meat  made  into  broth. 

"On  Monday,  one  quart  of  Indian  meal,  and  one 
quart  of  potatoes. 

"On  Tuesday,  one  quart  of  Indian  meal  made  into 
mush. 

"On  Wednesday,  one  pound  of  bread,  and  one 
quart  of  potatoes. 

"On  Thursday,  one  quart  of  Indian  meal  made  into 
mush. 

*  'On  Friday,  one  pound  of  bread,  and  one  quart  of 
potatoes. 

"On  Saturday,  one  quart  of  Indian  meal  made  into 
mush." 

And  on  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Saturday  there 
was  given,  in  addition,  to  each  four  prisoners,  a  half 
pint  of  molasses. 

As  has  been  indicated  in  a  previous  chapter, 
Washington  did  not  forget  his  friend,  but  did  what  he 
could  to  cheer  him  in  his  confinement,  writing  to  him, 
planning  for  him,  encouraging  him  to  look  forward 
to  the  day  of  his  release. 
324 


UNTIL  CAPITAL  WENT  TO  WASHINGTON 

But  Washington  did  not  live  to  see"  that  day. 
December  18,  1799,  brought  to  Philadelphia  the  sor- 
rowful news  of  the  death  of  the  Father  of  His  Country, 
which  occurred  on  December  14.  That  evening  the 
Common  Council  of  the  city  requested  the  Mayor 
to  have  the  bells  muffled  for  three  days.  And  on 
December  26,  according  to  Elizabeth  Drinker: 

"The  Funeral  procession  in  honor  of  the  late  Com- 
mander in  Chief  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States, 
Lieut.  Gen.  George  Washington  .  .  .  took  place. 
They  assembled  at  the  State-house — went  from  there  in 
grand  procession  to  ye  Dutch  Church,  called  Zion 
church  in  Fourth  street,  where  Major  Gen.  Henry  Lee 
delivered  an  oration  to  4000  persons  ...  Ye  con- 
course of  people  in  the  streets,  and  at  ye  windows,  was 
very  numerous  ...  So  all  is  over  with  G.  Washington." 

Now  that  Washington  was  gone  the  removal  of 
the  capital  to  the  new  Federal  City  on  the  Potomac  did 
not  bring  such  a  wrench  to  the  people  of  the  city  that 
had  been  the  center  of  the  nation's  life  for  nearly  a 
generation.  In  November,  1800,  the  president,  the 
cabinet  members,  the  senators  and  the  representatives 
took  their  departure.  The  government  archives  were 
packed  in  "about  a  dozen  large  boxes,"  and  these,  to- 
gether with  the  office  furniture,  were  taken  to  Washington 
by  sea,  when  three  thousand  people,  practically  the 
entire  population  of  the  city,  cheered  to  the  echo  as 
the  vessel  made  fast  at  the  mouth  of  Tiber  Creek. 

Philadelphia  quickly  readjusted  itself  to  the  ab- 
sence of  the  government  officials  and  the  members 
of  the  diplomatic  corps  who  had  helped  to  make  the 
city's  social  life  gayer  than  ever,  and  who  had  stimu- 
lated the  business  life  to  an  extraordinary  degree. 

325 


THE    ROMANCE    OF    OLD    PHILADELPHIA 

With  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century 
Philadelphians  set  themselves  with  fresh  vigor  to  the 
task  of  developing  the  rich  resources  of  the  community 
and  its  surrounding  country  and  preparing  for  a  new 
era  of  prosperity.  While  perhaps  no  one  stopped  to 
formulate  the  idea,  it  was  realized  that  the  wonderful 
history  of  the  century  just  ended  put  them  under 
obligation  to  make  the  future  worthy  of  the  past. 
And  this  task  has  been  accomplished.  In  spite  of 
political  shortcomings  the  country  has  always  been 
proud  of  Philadelphia's  present  as  well  as  its  past. 
Throughout  the  land  the  city  is  looked  upon  as  a 
national  possession,  and  it  will  always  have  a  peculiar 
place  in  the  affections,  not  only  of  its  own  people, 
but  also  of  millions,  many  of  whom  perhaps  will 
never  enter  its  borders.  For  it  is  the  City  of  the 
Declaration,  whose  story  is  unique,  whose  romantic 
records  appeal  to  every  loyal  American. 


INDEX 


Adams,  John,  105, 107, 188,  £76,  279, 

280,  282,  283,  304,  322,  323 
Adams,  Mrs.  John,  304,  322 
Adventures  on  the  road,  240,  251, 

255,  257,  258,  259 
Advice  to  emigrants,  23,  24,  25,  26, 

30 
Algiers,  entertainment  for  prisoners 

in,  312 

Allen,  Andrew,  114 
Allentown,  251,  254 
Alsop,  O,  224 
"Altamont,  Baron  de,"  39 
American  Museum,  The,  64, 114,  301 
Amusements,  prohibited,  90 
Andre,  Major,  289,  290,  295 
Anne,  Queen,  gift  to  Christ  Church, 

185 

Annesley,  Richard,  39-41 
Ante-nuptial  agreement,  204 
Arch  Street,  101,  163,  277,  291 
Arch  Street  Flirt,  the,  180 
Architecture,  study  of,  part  of  lib- 
eral education,  105 
Arme,  Elinor,  condemned  to  whip- 
ping post,  73 
Armitt,  Sally,  241 
Arnold,  Benedict,  169,  212,  213,  222, 

290,  291,  295 

Arnold,  Peggy  Shippen,  231 
Articles  of  Confederation,  297,  300, 
Artist,  Benjamin  Franklin  and  the, 

244 

Assembly,    the    Philadelphia,    112, 
113,     121-3;    dancing    assembly 
closed  by  Whitefield,  190 
Assheton,  Robert,  83 
Asheton,  Judge  William,  73 
Atwood,  Mayor  William,  93 
Auction  sale  of  house  furnishings,  61 
Audubon,  John  J.,  167 

Bache,  Benjamin  Franklin,  314; 
Sarah  Franklin,  273,  293;  Richard, 
302 


Balch,  Thomas  Willing,  113 

Balloon  ascension,  320 

Ballot  stuffing  in  1703,  83 

Baltimore,  259 

Bancroft  quoted,  69 

Bankruptcy  law  of  1800,  108 

Baptism,  "in  hot  arrack  punch,"  231 

Barber,  Robert,  239 

Bartram,  Annie,  167;  William,  167; 

John,  Jr.,  167 
Bass,  Jeremiah,  247 
Belmont,  175,  240 
Benezet,  Andrew,  first  schoolmaster 

to  negroes,  165 
Bethlehem,  254,  258 
Beveridge,  John,  schoolmaster,  160, 

161 

Bible,  family,  of  Samuel  Powell,  52 
Biddle,      Colonel     Alexander,     76; 

Charles,  316;  Clement,  76;  John, 

231 
Bigamy,  John  Joyce  charged  with, 

having  "to  wives  at  once,"  82 
Bingham,  William,  313,  314 
Black,  William,  110,  111,  136 
Blackbeard,  the  pirate,  85 
Blue  Anchor  Wharf,  44,  70,  71,  77 
Bradbury,  Theophilus,  128 
Bradford,  77,  78;  Andrew,  86 
Breck,  Samuel,  144,  175,  177,  312, 

315,  317 

Bride's  trousseau,  219;  dress,  224 
Brockden,  Charles,  deeds  a  slave  to 

Moravian  Church,  148 
Broglie,  Prince  de,  125 
Brown,  Martha,  220 
Bryan,  George,  282 
Brumbaugh,  Martin  C.,  165 
Buckingham  meeting,  252 
Buckley,  Samuel,  coiner,  72 
Budden,  Captain  Richard,  184,  196; 

Mrs.  Susannah,  196 
Burd,    Allen,    177;    Edward,    221; 

Molly,  219;  Neddy,  89,  100,  169 
Burlington,  246,  254,  257,  261 

327 


INDEX 


Busbie,  John,  75 

Business:  silversmith,  60;  furniture 
maker,  61, 103;  shipping  merchant 
95;  marble  shop,  101;  miller,  102; 
barber,  103;  carriage  builder,  106 

Bush  Hill,  304 

Bush  Hill  Hospital,  146 

Cadwalader,  Lambert,  242 

Caldwell,  Andrew,  188 

Camden,  259 

Canals,  Robert  Fulton's  dream  of, 

263 

Candle  light  vs.  oil  lamps,  186 
Capitol    removed    to   Philadelphia, 

304;  to  Washington,  325 
Carpenter,  H.,  153 
Carpenter's  Hall,  275 
Gary,  Margaret,  114 
Carter,  Robert,  239 
Castleman,  Richard,  96 
Catherall,  Isaac,  285 
Cave  houses,  46,  47,  48 
Chains  blocking  streets,  137 
Chalkley,  George,  168;  Thomas,  188, 

189,  220 

Chapman,  John,  29 
Charity  in  early  days,  130,  131,  133, 

156 
Charter,    Philadelphia's    first,    76; 

second  (1701),  80 
Chastellux,  Marquis  de,  125 
Chester,  258 
Chestnut  Street,  162 
Chew,  Benjamin,    114,    194,    242; 

Mary,  Ann  Maria  and  Elizabeth, 

114;  Sam,  194 

"Chicken  Frykecy,"  Martha  Wash- 
ington's recipe  for,  309 
Chimes  of  Christ  Church,  184 
Chimney  swallows  and  shad,  241 
Christ  Church,  103,  105,  183,  184, 

185,  192,  196,  197,  276 
"Christeena  Creek,"  206 
"Chronicles       of       Pennsylvania," 

quoted,  90 
Church  pew  for  Washington,  187; 

for  Adams,  188 
Churches:  Christ,  103, 105, 183-185, 

192,  196,  197,  276;  Evangelical, 

232;  First  Baptist,  193;  First  Pres- 

328 


byterian,  185;  Gloria  Dei,  207;  St. 
Peter's,  187, 192, 276;  Second  Pres- 
byterian, 185;  Trinity,  Oxford, 
192;  Zion,  325 

Clark,  Abraham,  278 

"  Clark  of  ye  Markett,"  136 

Claypoole,  David,  277,  321;  George, 
228;  John,  277;  James,  27,  42,  43. 
321 

Clermont,  Robert  Fulton's  steam- 
boat, 262,  265 

Cobbett,  William,  317 

Cole,  Edward,  42 

College  of  Philadelphia,  89,  178 

Commissions  from  the  country,  239, 
240 

Complaint,  a  pauper's,  132 n 

Compulsory  education,  first  law  for, 
150 

Congress  Hall,  304 

Congressmen  at  church,  187 

Constitution,  adoption  of,  301 

Constitutional  Convention,  300 

Continental  Congress,  242,  275,  276, 
277,  282,  299 

Continental  Currency,  291-293 

Conveyances:  stage  coach,  248; 
chair,  248;  chariot,  249;  chaise, 
249;  waggon,  256;  boat,  257; 
steamboat,  260;  canal  boats, 
263 

Coquenakar  Creek,  71 

Corabury,  Lord,  84,  246 

Cornwallis,  Lord,  284,  296 

Cossett,  Eleazer,  75 

Council,  Provisional,  of  1691,  76,  77 

Council  of  Safety,  2S2 

Counterfeiters  in  1683,  72 

Courage  of  the  pioneers,  20 

Court,  contempt  of,  76 

Court  of  Admiralty,  71 

Cox,  John,  240 

Coxe,  Sally,  114 

Crosby,  John,  151 

Crukshank,  Joseph,  175 

Cutler,  Dr.  Manasseh,  127 

Curtis,  Eleanor  Parke,  309;  George 
Washington,  310 

Day,  Elizabeth,  75 

Deer,  commission  to  buy,  239 


INDEX 


Democratic  Society,  316 

DeWees,  William,  132 

Diaries,  extracts  from:  Elizabeth 
Drinker,  90,  124,  129,  173,  174, 
175,  216-218,  249,  251,  256,  285, 
289,  290,  293,  295,  325;  Sarah  Eve, 
117,  119,  124,  172,  173,  198,  224, 
252;  John^Henry  Helffrich,  37-39; 
Jacob  ,.  Hiltzheimer,  274,  299; 
Christopher  Marshall,  275;  Robert 
Morton,  284;  Samuel  Sansom,  31- 
34;  Ann  Warder,  51,  59,  63,  220, 
223 

Diary,  keeping  a,  173 

Dickinson,  Jonathan,  239 

Dinner:  bill  for,  62;  bill  of  fare,  63; 
Washington's,  128;  wedding,  224; 
Williampingham's,  304 

Dock,  Christopher,  schoolmaster 
164,  165 

Dock  Street,  79,  162 

Dove,  David  James,  schoolmaster, 
156-158,  160 

Dover,  Delaware,  36 

Downing,  Jacob,  223 

Drinker,  Elizabeth,  90, 124, 129, 173, 
174,  175,  216-218,  249-252,  256, 
285,  289,  290,  293,  295,  325; 
Henry,  216;  Molly,  216;  Polly, 
223;  Rachel,  251;  Sally,  223 

Dress  of  women,  117,  221,  239,  292, 
294,  311 

Drystreet,  Henry,  73 

Duche,  Anthony,  31;  Rev.  Jacob, 
119,  169,  276;  Mrs.  Jacob,  276 

Duckett,  Thomas,  201 

Ducking  stool,  83 

Duel,  challenge  to,  82 

Duncan,  Elliott,  103 

Dunk's  Ferry,  257 

Durden,  Fanny,  199 

Dyeing  at  home,  138,  139 

Eddy,  George,  107 

Education,  provision  for  in  1683, 
150;  "Proposals  Relative  to  Edu- 
cation," by  Franklin,  156;  Saur's 
treatise  on,  165;  Dr.  William 
Smith's  treatise  on,  166 

Election,  ballot  stuffing  at,  in  1705, 
83,  riot  in  1742,  92 


Emigrants:  advice  to,  23,  30;  sup- 
plies needed  by,  23;  inventory  of 
goods  of,  46 

Emigrants,  early,  to  Pennsylvania: 
Thomas  Sion  Evan,  21;  John  Ap 
Thomas,  25;  James  Claypoole,  27; 
William  Hudson,  28;  James  Mar- 
shall, 28;  John  Chapman,  29; 
George  Ha  worth,  29;  Abel  Mor- 
gan, 31 ;  Samuel  Sansom,  31 ;  Sam- 
uel Neave,  31;  Anthony  Duche, 
31;  Robert  Best,  31;  John  Henry 
Helffrich,  37;  Richard  Annesley, 
39;  Edward  Cole,  42;  John  Fox, 
71;  Nicholas  Newton,  71;  Richard 
Castleman,  96 

Ellery,  William,  242,  280,  291 

Elopement,  a  colonial,  216-218 

England,  Philip,  74 

Epidemics,  prevalence  of,  144 

Epitaphs,  197,  199 

Estimate  of  George  Washington, 
310 

Evan,  John,  letter  of  in  1708,  22 

Evan,  Thomas  Sion,  20,  21,  22 

Evangelical  Church,  232 

Evans,  Dr.  Cadwalader,  231;  David, 
103;  Gov.  John,  84,  208;  Peter,  83 

Eve,  Sarah,  117,  119,  124,  172,  173, 
198,  224,  252 

Expenses  of  travel,  259 

Exports  in  1765,  99 

Fairs:  provided  for   In    1701,    137; 

proclamation  to  open,  138 
Falls  of  Schuylkill,  177 
Farmar,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  256 
Father  and  children,  213,  214,  216- 

218,  235,  236,  237,  293-295 
Fellowship  Fire  Company,  141 
Feminine  accomplishments,  114 
Fenton,  T.,  225 
Fergusson,  Elizabeth,  194,  209 
Ferry:  Schuylkill,  74;  to  Burlington, 
246:  at  Neshaminy,  254;  to  Cam- 
den,  259 

Ferryboat,  first  steam,  265 
Filbert  Street,  106 
Financing  the  Revolution,  278,  282 
329 


INDEX 


Fire:  danger  of  from  haystacks  in 
street,  81;  watchmen  against,  134; 
regulation  to  prevent,  140;  first 
fire  companies,  141 

First  Baptist  Church,  193 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  185,  188 

Fishbourn,  William,  225 

Fisher,  David,  137 

Fitch,  John,  260-263 

Fletcher,  Governor,  displaces  Wil- 
liam Perm,  77 

Flower,  Enoch,  first  schoolmaster, 
151 

Foot  race,  described  by  Alexander 
Gray  don,  162 

Forman,  Ezekiel,  311 

Fort  Pitt,  263,  264 

Foulke,  Judah,  231 

Fourth  of  July:  first  celebration  of, 
282;  second,  290;  in  1787,  301 

Fox,  James,  79 

Frame  of  Government  of  William 
Penn,  68,  69 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  131,  142,  156, 
184,  190,  197,  198,  209,  244,  272, 
293,  297,  299,  300;  Mrs.  Mary, 
214,  292;  Peter,  197;  Thomas,  Jr., 
214;  William,  209 

Francis,  Peggy,  213 

Francke,  G.  A.,  233 

Franks,  David,  113,  249;  Polly,  113, 
196;  Rebecca,  238 

French  refugees,  315 

Friends  Public  School,  152 

Friendship  Fire  Company,  141 

Fulton,  Robert,  262,  263 

Funeral  customs,  198,  199 

"  Further  Account  of  Pennsylvania," 
William  Penn's,  94 

Galloway,  James,  158;  Joseph,  306 

Gano,  Rev.  Stephen,  193 

Gazette,    Pennsylvania    Weekly,    89, 

190,  196,  197,  272 
Girard,  Stephen,  97,  98,  131,  146 
Glenn,  Thomas  Allen,  quoted,  91 
Gloria  Dei  Church,  207 
Good    Friends,    Story    of    Girard's 

ship,  97,  98 
Gossip,  hatred  of,  174 
Graeme,  Elizabeth,  209 

330 


Grand  jury,  presentments  of,  48, 70, 

73,  80,  81,  82, 133 
Graydon,     Alexander,     schoolboy, 

160-163 

Gray's  Ferry,  166,  179,  300 
Gray's  Garden,  179 
Greenleaf,  James,  323 
Grubb,  Peter,  219 
Guest,  Betsy,  124 
Gulph,  241 

Half-door,  the  pleasures  of  the,  55, 

56 
Hamilton,  Mrs.  Andrew,  238;  Molly, 

114 

Hand-in-Hand  Fire  Company,  141 
Hannington,  Bernard,  190 
Hardships  of  the  pioneers,   51;  of 

'emigrants  on  shipboard,  25 
Harrison,  George,   101,  George  F., 

186 
Hart,  Charles  Henry,  quoted,  108, 

306 

Haworth,  George,  29 
Haystack  in  street,  81,  134 
Hazing  the  schoolmaster,  161 
Hazlehurst,  Isaac,  112 
Head,  John,  223 
Head  of  Elk,  259,  283 
Head  dresses,  116,  117,  118,  119 
Heart-in-Hand  Fire  Company,  141 
"Heir,  the  Wandering,"  39 
Helffrich,  John  Henry,  37 
Helm,  Mrs.  Mary,  206 
Hiltzheimer,  Jacob,  274,  299 
Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania, 

149,  201,  307 

Hockley,  Richard,  190,  229 
Hopkinson,  Francis,  177,  276 
Horsham,  252 

Hospitality:    in  President  Washing- 
ton's house,  309,  310;  of  William 

Bingham,  313,  of  Robert  Morris, 

315 

House,  Mrs.  Mary,1  300 
Household  expenses:      of  Benedict 

Arnold,  291;  of  Edward  Shippen, 

292 
Housefurnishings,    59,    60,    61,    62, 

103-105 


INDEX 


Household  arrangements  and  ac- 
counts of  President  Washington, 
307,  308 

Housekeeping  of  Mrs.  Washington, 
309 

Houses:  James  Claypoole's,  42-45; 
cavehouses,  46-48;  Robert  Turner 
tells  of  new  houses,  53;  Christo- 
pher White's  described,  53,  54; 
William  Hudson's,  55;  of  early 
pioneer  described,  56,  57;  of  Count 
Zinzendorf,  58;  of  James  Coultas, 
58;  of  Ann  Newall,  59;  of  Hum- 
phrey Morrey,  76 

Housewives,  early,  59,  62,  63,  64 

Howe,  General,  283,  286,  289,  306 

Huddy,  Hugh,  247 

Hudson,  Mayor  William,  28,  54,  91, 
96 

Hutchinson,  Dr.,  220 

Independence,  Declaration  of,  278, 
279;  first  anniversary  of,  282; 
second  anniversary  of,  290 

Independence  Eall,  279 

Indian  trails,  246 

Indians,  sell  land  to  Perm,  50;  Penn's 
opinion  of,  50;  at  Philadelphia 
assembly,  123 

Inglis,  Katherine,  113 

Inskeep,  Mayor  John,  changes  stand- 
ard of  money,  105 

"Instruction  to  Fine  Ladies,"  115 

Jail,  Walnut  Street,  320 

James,  Thomas,  227 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  107 

Jennings,  Samuel,  153 

John,  Thomas  Ap,  26 

Johnson,  Samuel,  156 

Jones,  Edd,  25;  Griffith,  75;  Hugh, 
47;  John,  47,  134;  Jonathan,  240; 
Owen,  286 

Journey:  to  New  York,  249;  to 
Rockaway  Beach,  249;  to  Lan- 
caster and  Reading,  250;  on  Old 
York  Road,  251;  to  Burlington, 
252;  to  Bethlehem,  254;  to  sea- 
shore, 256;  to"Carlile,"  258;  to 
Richmond,  258 


Kalm,  Peter,  141 

Keach,  Rev.  Elias,  206 

Kearsley,  Dr.,  231 

Keith,  George,  schoolmaster,  152 

Keppele,  Henry,  188 

"Kingsess  Gardens,"  167 

Lace,  Franklin's  recipe  for,  295 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  315 

Lament  for  Philadelphia,  284 

Lancaster,  250 

Latrobe,  Benjamin H.,  Ill, 318, 319; 
John  H.  B.,  Ill,  117 

Lawrence,  Kitty,  240 

Laws:  as  to  cave  houses,  47;  code  of 
1682,  69;  bankruptcy  act  of  1800, 
108;  of  Province  to  be  taught  in 
schools,  150;  first  compulsory 
education  law,  150;  as  to  school 
books,  151 

Learning,  Mrs.  Deborah,  205 

Lear,  Tobias,  306 

L'Enfant,  the  architect  of  Morris's 
Folly,  318 

Lester,  George,  258 

Letters:  of  Edd  Jones,  25;  of 
Thomas  Ap  John,  26;  of  James 
Claypoole,  27,  42,  43,  45;  of 
George  Haworth,  29,  30;  of  John 
Jones,  47;  of  Robert  Turner,  53, 
76;  of  Abel  Morgan,  58;  of  William 
Perm,  68,  228,  235;  to  William 
Perm,  92;  to  "Mr.  Wharton  of 
New\York,"  96;  of  J.  Peters,  106; 
of  William  Black,  110,  111;  of 
Timothy  Pickering,  116;  of  Rich- 
ard Peters,  122,  241;  of  Alexander 
Mackraby,  125;  of  Theophilus 
Bradbury,  128;  of  William  Plum- 
stead,  130;  of  Mrs.  Moore,  138; 
of  Margaret  Freame,  144;  of 
Israel  Pemberton,  152;  of  Thomas 
Makin,  154;  of  Benjamin  Franklin 
156,  244,  272,  294;  of  Thomas 
Galloway,  158;  of  Thomas  Chalk- 
ley,  167;  of  Neddy  Burd,  169;  of 
Richard  Hockley,  190,  193,  248; 
of  Rev.  Elias  Keach,  206;  of  Sarah 
Plumly,  208;  of  Edward  Shippen, 
209;  of  William  Franklin,  209;  of 
John  Smith,  210,  230;  of  Benedict 
331 


INDEX 


Arnold,  212;  of  Edward  Shippen, 
Jr.,  214;  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
Franklin,  215;  of  Edward  Burd, 
221;  of  Mrs.  Jasper  Yeates,  221; 
of  Elizabeth  Tilghman,  222;  of 
John  Ross,  231;  of  Peggy  Shippen 
Arnold,  231;  of  Henry  Melchior 
Muhlenberg,  232-234;  of  General 
Anthony  Wayne,  235;  of  Marga- 
retta  Wayne,  236;  of  General 
Andrew  Porter,  237;  of  Rebecca 
Franks,  238;  of  Robert  Carter, 
239;  of  Rachel  Preston,  239;  of 
John  Cox,  240;  of  Sally  Armitt, 
241;  of  Lambert  Cadwalader,  242; 
of  William  Redwood,  242;  of  Ed- 
ward Tilghman,  Jr.,  242;  of  Cap- 
tain William  Steel,  243;  of  Charles 
Norris,  244;  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Farmar,  256;  of  Kitty  Ewing,  257; 
of  Benjamin  H.  Latrobe,  258;  of 
Robert  Fulton,  263;  of  Mrs. 
Franklin,  273;  of  Sarah  Franklin 
Bache,  273,  293,  297;  of  John 
Adams,  276,  278,  322;  of  Abraham 
Clark,  279;  of  Phoebe  Pemberton, 
287;  of  Mrs.  Adams,  304,  322;  of 
Ezekiel  Forman,  311 

Lewes,  Delaware,  37,  84,  211 

Liancourt,  Due  de,  315 

Library  Company  of  Philadelphia, 
55,  104 

License  to  marry,  204 

License  to  sell  liquor  applied  for, 
132 

Littleboy,  Maltby  John,  175 

Livezey,  Thomas,  102,  159 

Lloyd,  Thomas,  77,  151,  189;  Wil- 
liam, 228 

Logan,  Hannah,  210,  230,  231; 
James,  217,  229;  Sarah,  230;  Wil- 
liam, 249 

Lombard  Street,  143 

Long  Branch,  257 

Longstreth,  Jacob,  175 

Lottery,  state,  104;  for  steeple, 
184 

Love  letters,  206-214 

Luxury  in  1792,  313 

Luzerne,  Chevalier  de  la,  125 

Lyndhurst,  Lord,  312 


McCall,  Mary,  114 

"Macaroni,"  119,  120 

MacComb,  John,  77,  78 

McKay,  Mary,  216 

Mackraby,  Alexander,  125 

Mantua  (West  Philadelphia),  177 

Market  houses,  133,  134,  135,  136, 
137,  140 

"Market  Street  gutter,  Ode  to  a," 
181 

Markoe,  Peggy,  313 

Marriage  of  1686,  a,  201;  license  of 
1777,  203;  antenuptial  agreement, 
204;  invitation  to  wedding,  219 

Marriot  Mary,  132 

Marshall,  Christopher,  275 

Matlack,  Timothy,  283 

Matson,  Maria,  207 

Mattson,  Margaret,  73 

Mayor,  salary  of,  93 

Mayors,  early,  of  Philadelphia: 
Humphrey  Morrey,  76-79;  Wil- 
liam Hudson,  91;  Alderman  Mor- 
ris refuses  election,  93;  William 
Atwood,  93;  John  Inskeep,  105; 
Charles  Willing,  121,  122 

Menu  at  wedding  dinner,  224 

Mercury,  American  Weekly,  (quoted) 
85 

Meschianza,  the,  289 

Meurer,  Philip,  35 

Mifflin,  General,  117;  Samuel,  249; 
Governor  Thomas,  261,  263 

Mineral  Springs,  252 

Minister's  support  in  early  days,  193, 
194 

Monmouth,  257 

Moon,  John,  202 

Moore,  Robert,  89 

Moravian  Church,  148 

Morgan,  Rev.  Abel,  31,  58;  Benja- 
min, 136;  George,  242 

Morrell,  James,  267 

Morrey,  Mayor  Humphrey,  76,  77, 
78,79 

Morris,  Alderman,  refuses  to  be 
Mayor,  93;  Elizabeth  M.,  224 

Morris  house,  occupied  by  George 
Washington,  306;  by  John  Adams, 
323 


INDEX 


Mori-is,  Robert,  125,  274,  278,  282, 
291,  300,  306,  307,  315,  318,  322, 
324;  Mrs.  Robert,  303,  304,  322 

Morris's  "Folly,"  318 

Morton,  Robert,  284 

Moss,  John,  186 

Muhlenberg,  Friedrich,  232,  234; 
Heinrich,  232;  Dr.  Henry  Mel- 
chior,  232;  Peter,  232-235 

Mullinax,  Nathaniel,  75 

"Museum,  The  A merican,"  quoted, 
64,  114,  301 

Naval  Hospital,  286 

Neave,  Samuel,  31 

Negroes,  43,  74,  81,  82,  147,  148, 165 

Neshaminy,  254 

Newall,  Ann,  59 

"News  of  a  Trumpet  Sounding  in 

the  Wilderness,"  quoted,  78 
New  Theatre,  310,  311 
New  York,  route  from  Philadelphia 

to,  247,  248,  249,  267 
Noailles,  Vicomte  de,  126,  145,  315 
Non-importation,  98,  100,  274 
Norris,  Charles,  244,  249;  Isaac,  77, 

148,  280;  Robert,   107-109,   112, 

113,  128,  129 
Norriton   Presbyterian  Church,  163 

Officeholders,     petition     concerning 

character  of,  in  1694,  77 
O'Hara,  Bryan,  103 
"Old      Philadelphia,"      site      first 

planned  for,  253 
Old  York  Road,  251,  252,  254 
Osborn,  Jeremias,  75 
Overseer  of  poor,  letter  to,  130 

Page,  William,  185 

Paine,  Thomas,  280 

Parson,  the  kind  they  needed,  194; 
"the  country  parson's  lot,"  195 

Paving,  street,  141-144 

Peace,  joy  in  Philadelphia  because 
of,  296 

Pemberton,  Isaac,  249;  Israel,  152, 
154;  James,  217;  Nancy,  217; 
Phoebe,  286,  287;  Phineas,  154 

Penalties  for  "betrayal  into  matri- 
mony," 226 


Penn,  Bille,  235;  Jackey,  229;  Leti- 
tia,  235;  Springet,  235;  Thomas, 
59,  122,  197;  William,  19,  20,  22, 
24,  42,  47,  49,  50,  66-68,  70,  77, 
150,  197,  228,  229 

Penrose,  Jonathan,  320 

Pennsylvania  Gazette,  The,  quoted, 
89,  190,  196,  197,  198,  272 

Pennsylvania,  Court  of  Province  of, 
73;  description  of,  in  rhyme,  155; 
frame  of  government  for,  68,  69; 
name  of,  68 

Pennypack  bridge,  253 

Perot,  Elliston,  223 

Perseverance,  John  Fitch's  steam- 
boat, 261 

Perth  Amboy,  247,  248 

Peters,  Judge  Richard,  122,  157, 
175-177,  240 

Peter  Porcupine,  newspaper,  317 

Philadelphia,  in  1682,  22;  growth  of, 
37,  49,  53,  58;  early  government  of, 
of,  70;  hi  1710,  96;  occupied  by 
British,  286,  287;  evacuated,  290 
"Philadelphiad,  The,"  extract 
from,  180 

Philosophy,  satisfying,  172, 173, 174, 
175 

Physician's  bill  in  1717,  100 

Pickering,  the  corner,  72;  Timothy, 
116 

Pillory,  73,  74 

Pine  Street,  114 

Pirates  and  privateers,  26,  34,  35,  84, 

$885-188,  312  ' 

Plumly,  Sarah,  208 

Plumstead,  William,  130 

Poetry,  the  weird,  of  Charles  Norris, 
244 

Poquestion  Bridge,  253 

Porter,  Andrew,  schoolmaster,  163; 
General  Andrew,  237;  James, 
237 

Postage,  expensive,  227;  to  Bethle- 
hem, 258;  to  Winchester,  Virginia, 
308 

Paulson's  American  Daily  Advertiser, 
quoted,  196 

Poverty  and  pride,  172 

Powell,  Samuel,  record  in  family 
Bible,  52;  William,  74 

333 


INDEX 


Preston,  Rachel,  239 

Pride  and  poverty,  172 

Prisons,  107,  146,  166,  324 

Privateers  and  pirates,  26-34,  35, 
85-88,  312 

Procession  on  adoption  of  constitu- 
tion, 301 

Profanity,  indictment  for,  80 

Prophecy:  of  John  Adams,  279;  of 
Thomas  Chalkley,  188;  of  John 
Fitch,  263;  of  Robert  Fulton,  263, 
264,  266;  of  Isaac  Norris,  280 

"Proposals,  Relative  to  Education 
in  Pennsylvania,"  156 

Proud,  Robert,  schoolmaster,  163 

Provincial  Court,  70 

Provisions,  cost  of,  61,  106 

Pryor,  Tom,  239 

Punishments  in  early  days,  73,  74,  83 

Pumps  on  streets,  140,  319  j 

Quakers,  78,  91,  118,  167,  197,  199, 
201,  215,  216,  218,  271,  283,  284, 
311 

Quarrier  &  Hunter,  carriage  builders, 
106 

Quarter  Sessions,  Court  of,  74 

Race  Street,  143 ! 
Reading,  250,  255 
Reception  of  British  in  Philadelphia, 

285 

Redemptioners,  30,  39,  42,  75,  149 
Redwood,  William,  242 
Reeve,  John,  246 

Refugees,  adventures  of,  256,  281- 
Religion,  early  expressions  on,  43r 
Removal  of  capital  to  New  York, 

303;    to    Philadelphia,    304;    to 
-     Washington,  325 
Revolution,  French  attitude  to,  316, 

317 

Richardson,  Mary,  28 
Richmond,  259 
Rittenhouse,  David,  164,  283,  316, 

317,  321 
Rhodes,  Mary,  214;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 

Samuel,  215 

Roberts,  Betsy,  223;  Hugh,  225 
Robinson,  George,  215 
Rockhill,  Dr.  John,  311 

334 


Ross,  Betsy,  277;  John,  231,  249 
Rush,  Dr.  Benjamin,  101,  105,  136, 

224,  317 
Russell,  John,  100 

Sabbath  breaking  in  1702,  81,  82 
St.  Peter's  Church,  105,  114,   187, 

192,  276 

Sandel,  Rev.  Andreas,  171,  207 
Sansom,  Joseph,  223;  Samuel,  31; 

Sarah,  223 

Saratoga,  journey  to,  267 
Saur,  Christopher,  164 
Savery,  William,  223 
Say,  Dr.  Benjamin,  108,  179 
Schoolboys,  152,  160-163,  168,  169 
Schools:   first,    151;   William  Penn 
Charter,  152, 155;  Friends'  Public, 
152,  155;  Charity,  156;  Academy, 
•   156;  Germantown  Academy,  158; 
Dove's  private,   159;  Dr.  Smith 
teaches  in  jail,  166 
Schoolmasters:      first,    151;   Enoch 
Flower,  151;  Thomas  Lloyd,  151; 
George  Keith,  152;  Thomas  Ma- 
kin,  152-155;  David  James  Dove, 
156,  160;  Dr.  William  Smith,  157, 
166;  Pelatiah  Webster,  158;  John 
Beveridge,    160;    Robert    Proud, 
{163;  Andrew  Porter,  163;  Christo- 
pher Dock,  164;  Anthony  Benezet, 
163;  Alexander  Wilson,  166;  Na- 
thaniel Walton,  167 
Schoolbooks,    first    provision    for, 

151 

Schoolhouse,  first,  151 
"Schul-ordnung,"   first  educational 

book  in  Pennsylvania,  164 
Schuylkill,  State  in,  176    . 
Sealer  of  measures,  136  ^ 
Seashore,  trip  to,  250,  256 
Second  Presbyterian  Church,  185 
Serenading,  126 
Seward,  William,  191 
Sexton,  rules  for  the,  195 
Shad  and  chimney  swallows,  241 
Sheep-raising  in  1690, 79;  Doggsand 

sheep,  81 

Sheepshank,  Edward,  175 
Sheppard,  Moses,  252 
Ship  "  Insheurence,"  97 


INDEX 


Shippen,  Edward,  77,  121,  177,  208, 
209,  213,  214,  290,  291,  292;  Eliza- 
beth, 169,  221;  Joseph,  112;  Mar- 
garet, 212,  222,  290,  291,  295 

Shipping  and  shipping  merchants, 
95-99 

Ships  mentioned:  Lyon,  25;  Con- 
cord, 27;  John,  31;  Catharine,  34; 
John  Galley,  36;  Levee,  71;  Amity, 
76;  Pandour,  88;  Otter,  88;  Ocean, 
97;  Good  Friends,  97,  98;  High- 
land, 105;  Philadelphia,  105;  Penn- 
sylvania Packitt,  149;  Myrtella, 
184;  Peggy,  296;  Rising  Sun,  301 

Shrewsbury,  257 

Silversmith,  bill  of,  101 

Singleton,  Arthur,  199 

Slaves,  43,  74,  81,  82,  147,  148,  165 

Sleigh  riding,  126 

Smallpox  of  1736,  144 

Smith,  John,  210,  230,  231;  Samuel, 
273;  Dr.  William,  121,  157,  177, 
178 

Social  amusements:  tea-drinking, 
124-126;  sleigh-riding,  126;  sere- 
nading, 126 

Society  recreations  in  New  York,  238 

Soldier,  supplies  for  a,  243 

Soldiers,  women's  work  for,  288 

Spangenburg,  Bishop,  and  the  Mora- 
vian colony,  34 

Spear,  Peggy,  231 

Spicer,  Jacob,  204 

Stage  coaches,  248,  258 

Stage  plays  prohibited,  90 

Stamp  Act,  242,  272,  273,  274 

Stansbury,  Joseph,  292 

State  House,  105,  275,  292,  300 

State  House  bell,  280 

Steamboats,  the  first,  260;  Persever- 
ance, 261;  Clermont,  262,  265,  266; 
Raritan,  267;  Phoenix,  267;  Eagle, 
268;  Paragon,  268 

Steel,  James,  228;  Captain  William, 
243 

Steeples,  war  of  the,  185;  lottery  for, 
184 

Stenton,  210,  229/230 

Stocks,  the,  73 

Strahan,  William,  277,  297 

Superstition,  171 


Supreme    Executive    Council,    283, 

299,  306 

Swedes'  Church,  145 
Swift,  Alice,  113 
Swine,  petition  for  protection  from, 

134 

Talleyrand,  315 

Taminy,  Chief,  sells  land  to  William 
Penn,  50 

Taxes  in  1692,  80;  in  1702,  80;  for 
markets,  140 

Tea,  275,  288 

Tea-drinking,  124,  125,  126 

Teach,  John  (Blackbeard),  85 

Test  Act,  273 

Thanksgiving  in  1780,  296 

Thieves,  56,  89,  90 

Thomas,  Howard,  76;  John  Ap,  25 

Thomson,  Charles,  104,  157 

Thornton,  William,  261 

Tilghman,  Edward,  Jr.,  242;  Eliza- 
beth, 222 

Trails,  Indian,  248 

Trees  and  stumps  in  1683,  71 

Trent,  Judge  William,  95 

Trenton,  249 

Trinity  Church,  Oxford,  192 

Trousseau,  a  bride's,  219 

Twining,  Thomas,  314 

United  States  Mint,  321 
University    of    Pennsylvania,    100, 
121,  156,  157 

Valedictory  address  of  Washington, 

321 

Valley  Forge,  287,  289,  300,  306 
Vine  Street,  143 
Virginia,     spoken    of    as    "foreign 

parts,"  75 
Voluntary  support  for  markets,  140; 

for  fire  service,  140,  141;  for  street 

paving,  141 
Voyage,  Atlantic,  perils  of,  19,  26, 29, 

31,  32,  33,  35,  36,  37,  38 

Wagstaffe,  John,  199 
Wain,  Betsy,  257;  Richard,  216,  257 
Walnut    Street,    79;    prison,    146; 
wharf,  145 

335 


INDEX 


Walton,  Nathaniel,  167 

Wansey,  Henry,  309,  311,  314 

Warder,  Ann,  51,  59,  63,  220,  223 

Ward,  Townsend,  quoted,  55,  198 

Waring,  Elizabeth,  199 

Washington,  D.  C.,  322,  325 

Washington,  George,  108,  128,  129, 
187,  262,  264,  271,  276,  278,  282, 
287,  299,  300,  302,  306,  307,  312,, 
313,  321,  322,  323,  324;  Judge 
Bushrod,  175;  Mrs.  Martha,  108, 
128,  129,  303,  304,  305,  309 

Watchman,  night,  134 

Water  works,  319 

Wayne,  General  Anthony,  235;  Mar- 
garetta,  235 

Weather,  cold,  36 

Webster,  Pelatiah,  schoolmaster,  158 

Wilkins,  Martha,  202 

West  Philadelphia  (Mantua),  177 

Whaling,  94,  162 

Wharton,  Joseph,  289;  Robert,  216, 
320;  Thomas,  102,  103,  153,  158, 
159;  Thomas,  Jr.,  283 


Whipping-post,  73,  74 

Whitby  Hall,  59 

White,  Bishop  William,  113,  187. 
188,  322;  Mary,  113 

Whitefield,  George,  189-193 

Whitewashing,  64 

Whittlesey,  Charles,  261 

William  Penn  Charter  School,  begin- 
ning of,  152 

Willing,  Abigail,  113;  Charles,  73, 
113,  121;  Thomas,  249 

Willis,  Robert,  223 

Wilmington,  37 

Wilson,  Alexander,  179 

Windows  in  houses,  46,  57,  58 

Witchcraft  in  1683,  72 

Wood,  Ruth,  201 

Woodlands,  114,  127 

Wragg,  John,  248 

Wright,  James,  244;  Susannah,  138, 
241 

Yellow  fever,  144-147 
Zion  Lutheran  Church,  325 


336 


YC  28452 


M178516 


•31 
F3 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


